Muon spectroscopy

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Muonium atom trapped inside a buckyball

Muons provide a complementary probe to neutrons, particularly in the areas of magnetism, superconductivity and charge transport.

Muons can also be thought of as light protons, and studies of their behaviour can shed light on hydrogen behaviour in technologically relevant semiconductors.

The ISIS Muon Facility is unique in Europe, and one of only four muon facilities world-wide available for condensed matter and molecular studies.  

Muons are produced by the ISIS proton beam hitting a thin carbon target 20m upstream of the neutron target.  The muons are then fed to seven experimental areas - three in what is called the ISIS European Muon Facility, and four in the Japanese-run RIKEN-RAL Muon Facility.  


Muon Spectroscopy Instruments at ISIS


Alternative techniques