Positron annihilation spectroscopy and specific heat study of Neon ion irradiated MgB2

Specific heat studies under magnetic field and positron annihilation spectroscopy were carried out on 160 MeV Ne ion irradiated polycrystalline MgB2 samples. There is an unusual decrease in positron lifetime in the irradiated sample which may be due to neon ion implantation. This was also indicated by change in cell volume. Coincidence Doppler Broadening Spectra of Mg, B, irradiated and unirradiated MgB2 show that positrons primarily annihilate in boron sublattice in the unirradiated sample whereas there is some similarity of the spectrum of the irradiated sample with that of Mg. There is Mg deficiency in the unirradiated sample whereas predominantly boron vacancies exist in Ne ion irradiated MgB2 sample. Specific heat measurements show that there is a small increase in electronic part of the specific heat and electron–phonon coupling constant.