Development of a Slow Positron Beam System for in-situ Lifetime Measurements During Ion Beam Irradiation

A slow-positron beam system for in-situ positron lifetime measurements during ion beam irradiation is currently under development in order to obtain fundamental information on radiation-induced defects. The system uses a high-intensity positron beam generated through pair-creation by a 70 MeV electron beam from a linear accelerator. The system has typical pulsing electrodes for chopping and bunching positrons. The incident directions of positrons and ions are 0° and 45° to the surface normal of samples, respectively. H, He and inert-gas ions up to 150 keV can be introduced to a target chamber with the irradiation temperature variable from room temperature to 600 °C. In a preliminary examination of the beamlines, 150 keV Ar+, electrons from a photocathode and positrons from a radioisotope were successfully transported to the target chamber from their respective sources. In addition, in-situ lifetime measurements using the existing positron beamline were demonstrated.