Muon Korringa relaxation

Abstract

Significant muon spin-lattice relaxation is found in a number of non-magnetic semimetals and metals. Measured in longitudinal magnetic field, the relaxation rate is independent of field up to several kilogauss and generally increases monotonically with temperature. This suggests a form of Korringa relaxation, originating in the hyperfine interaction between the implanted muons and the conduction electrons. Bearing in mind that NMR data on Korringa relaxation refers chiefly to the host nuclei, the muon offers a probe of conduction–electron encounter at an interstitial site, linking the topic to the nature of defect screening in metals, to relaxation by spin-density fluctuations in magnetic materials and to spin- and charge-exchange on paramagnetic muonium centres in semiconductors. Data are presented for C (graphite), Bi, Pb and Cd and compared with the Korringa predictions using known values of the muon Knight shift. Control experiments are described on Zn and Cu, both pure and deliberately doped with magnetic impurity. For graphite, an interpretation is given in terms of charge-exchange on a molecular radical formed by the chemical reaction of interstitial muonium.