Beta environmental fine structure characterization of defects

The fine structure of beta emission (BEFS) due to the interference with the scattered waves from neighboring atoms, analogous to EXAFS, is known to produce oscillations in the Kurie plot. Here we suggest the use of BEFS for characterizing the lattice environment of β-emitting defects located at a distance from the crystal surface not exceeding the mean free path of β-electrons. Examples of defective structures in semiconductors whose atomic arrangement could be conveniently studied with BEFS are tritium-passivated dangling bonds, β-radioactive ions implanted in the crystal lattice or segregated at extended defects such as dislocations, grain boundaries or radiation damage. Also 14C-doped diamond-like materials and other exotic carbon forms, as well as the atomic environment of ions in metal alloys could be good candidate for BEFS. In this work we have calculated the fractional BEFS modulation for 187Re in its ordinary hcp crystal lattice for which experimental data by Cosulich et al. are available. The good correspondence between theory and experiment permits to conclude that BEFS experiments at low temperature are accessible to the present bolometric detection techniques and can provide an expedient method, as compared to EXAFS, for an accurate structural assessment of extended defects in solids.