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Electron Emission Channeling for lattice location of radioactive isotopes in single crystals: Improvements from a Timepix3 quad detector and new PyFDD data analysis software

Electron Emission Channeling (EC) is a powerful technique for the investigation of the lattice location of radioactive isotopes implanted into single crystals. After implantation the isotopes occupy certain lattice locations in the crystal, which can in some cases be altered by annealing. Upon decay, the emission of a charged particle, typically a beta, may result in a channeling trajectory when its starting lattice location is aligned with major symmetry axes or planes of the crystal. By measuring the emission anisotropy in the direction of these axes for distinct annealing temperatures, the lattice location of the isotope can be determined with great precision and insightful information can be obtained on how annealing affects the occupied sites. This work reports on the installation of a Timepix3 quad detector and Katherine Gen2 readout in an experimental setup located at ISOLDE at CERN. The large increase in the number of pixels of the Timepix3, in comparison to previously used pad detectors, required more sophisticated tools for data treatment and fitting of channeling patterns. From this need, the PyFDD software was born. Its latest update features an intuitive graphical interface, with tools for noise masking, pattern visualization, simulations browsing, chi-square or maximum likelihood based fits and gamma background correction.