DOI: 10.1063/5.0338740 ISSN: 0034-6748

Correcting the energy-dependent asymmetry in low-energy muon spin rotation

G. Janka, Z. Salman, A. Suter, T. Prokscha

Low-energy muon spin rotation (LE-μSR) enables depth-resolved studies of magnetic and electronic properties from the surface into the near-surface region, but the measured transverse-field asymmetry is not an intrinsic constant and depends on implantation energy and beamline conditions. Following an upgrade of the single-muon tagging system at the low-energy muon beamline at the Paul Scherrer Institute in 2023, updated asymmetry calibrations became necessary. Here, we present updated reference measurements that establish the energy-dependent maximum asymmetry using a silver reference and quantify spurious contributions from reflected muons using a nickel reference. In addition, we address systematic reductions of the measured asymmetry arising from incomplete beam–sample overlap by introducing a sample-size-dependent correction factor. This factor is obtained from musrSim/Geant4 simulations incorporating an updated electrostatic field map of the sample environment and is benchmarked using implantation-energy scans on SrTiO3 samples of different lateral dimensions. Together, these updated calibrations and the simulation-based overlap correction provide a practical and up-to-date framework for LE-μSR data correction under current beam conditions and enable quantitative depth-resolved analysis of volume fractions.

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