Positronium production in cryogenic environments

Abstract

We report measurements of positronium (Ps) formation following positron irradiation of mesoporous ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ films and Ge(100) single crystals at temperatures ranging from 12\char21{}700 K. As both of these materials generate Ps atoms via nonthermal processes, they are able to function as positron-positronium converters at cryogenic temperatures. Our data show that such Ps formation is possibly provided the targets are not compromised by adsorption of residual gas. In the case of ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ films, we observe a strong reduction in the Ps formation efficiency following irradiation with UV laser light ($\ensuremath{\lambda}=243.01$ nm) below 250 K, in accordance with previous observations of radiation-induced surface paramagnetic centers. Conversely, Ps emission from Ge is enhanced by irradiation with visible laser light ($\ensuremath{\lambda}=532$ nm) via a photoemission process that persists at cryogenic temperatures. Both mesoporous ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ films and Ge crystals were found to produce Ps efficiently in cryogenic environments. Accordingly, these materials are likely to prove useful in several areas of research, including Ps mediated antihydrogen formation conducted in the cold bore of a superconducting magnet, the production of Rydberg Ps for experiments in which the effects of black-body radiation must be minimized, and the utilization of mesoporous structures that have been modified to produce cold Ps atoms.