Positron annihilation spectroscopy for defect characterization in nanomaterials

Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) is a highly sensitive and promising method of probing the structural defects in solids including nanomaterials. PAS studies are carried out to obtain information related to the structural defects in materials for the investigation of their suitability of application in various fields of science, technology, and materials engineering. The chapter describes a comprehensive, systematic, and methodical elucidation of fundamentals of positron annihilation lifetime and coincidence Doppler broadening spectroscopic techniques. The chapter explains in detail how PAS is effectively utilized to investigate in detail the changes in structure and structural defects like vacancies and thereby to probe the related properties. The chapter covers the essential gamut of PAS in nanomaterials and serves as a comprehensive reference material for this subject.