μ+SR Spectroscopy: The Positive Muon as a Magnetic Probe in Solids

• Published in: Physica scripta Vol. 11; no. 3-4; pp. 144 - 148
• Main Authors: Brewer, J H, Fleming, D G, Crowe, K M, Johnson, R F, Patterson, B D, Portis, A M, Gygax, F N, Schenck, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 01-03-1975
• ISSN: 1402-4896; 0031-8949; 1402-4896
• DOI: 10.1088/0031-8949/11/3-4/006

Through its asymmetric decay, the positive muon acts as a sensitive detector of the interactions of its spin with the medium in which it comes to rest. Development of the μ
+
SR spectroscopy technique is described, and recent applications of the μ
+
as a probe are discussed. Results for hyperfine fields in ferromagnets and impurity states in nonmetals are presented with suggestions for future studies.