Effect of Ultraviolet Radiation on Deuterium Desorption from Codeposited Lithium Layers

The effect of UV radiation on deuterium retention in codeposited lithium-deuterium layers has been investigated. The samples were obtained by sputtering a liquid lithium cathode with a deuterium plasma of a magnetron discharge. The deuterium content in the films was analyzed by in-vacuo thermal desorption spectroscopy. After deposition, the deuterium content in the films averaged D/Li = 15 at %. Irradiation with ultraviolet radiation led to the formation of additional low-temperature desorption peaks (T ~ 500 K), as well as to the disappearance of high-temperature peaks (T > 700 K) or to their shift to a lower-temperature region. In the future, the results obtained may form the basis for methods for detecting the places of predominant accumulation of lithium hydride in tokamaks, as well as facilitating the process of removing tritium from the internal elements of thermonuclear installations.