Distribution of 7Li implants in Nb films for a sterile neutrino search

Abstract

The Beryllium-7 Electron capture in Superconducting Tunnel junctions (BeEST) experiment searches for sub-MeV sterile neutrinos by measuring the 7Li recoil spectrum from 7Be decay in Ta-based superconducting quantum sensors. Its sensitivity is limited by spectral broadening from interactions between 7Be/7Li and the Ta host material. This study investigates Nb as an alternative sensor material using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and atom probe tomography (APT) on 7Li-implanted Nb films (∼0.5 at. %). STEM shows no 7Li cluster formation and no implantation-induced microstructural degradation, while APT reveals some limited 7Li segregation to grain boundaries. Although this segregation may slightly influence binding energies, it is unlikely to affect the broadening of the recoil spectrum significantly. These findings support Nb as a viable sensor material for future phases of the BeEST experiment.