The interaction of positive muons with photogenerated charge carriers in crystalline silicon

Photoinduced effects on the dynamics of the diamagnetic muon species (mu(d) ) and of bond-centred muonium Mu(BC)(0), in crystalline silicon were studie d as a function of temperature and doping. Below 40 K, the photoinduced rel axation in boron-doped as well as undoped silicon can be explained by the t emperature and doping dependence of the mobility of the photogenerated char ge carriers. In undoped silicon, the observed photoinduccd enhancement of t he precession amplitude and of the muon-spin relaxation of the diamagnetic signal indicates that a long-living intermediate diamagnetic state is forme d in the illuminated samples. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.