Spin equilibration in hydrogen depleted amorphous silicon

Equilibration of the spin density in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) following thermal quenching was measured in as-deposited and hydrogen-depleted specimens. The behavior in the depleted specimens was comparable to that for as-deposited specimens: the thermal activation energy for the equilibration time is 1.6 eV, and equilibration times are approximately proportional to the spin density. A hydrogen-mediated model for equilibration is presented.