The isotope dependence of the self‐trapping energy of a light interstitial in a metal, and its effect on activation energies in diffusion

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Abstract
The isotope dependence of the strain energy or “self trapping energy” of a light interstitial in a metal is considered for a model in which the interstitial interacts with the lattice through a two body potential. Estimates indicate that the difference in the volume of solution of hydrogen and deuterium in various metals will be at maximum only a few percent. These results suggest that the “self trapping energy” barrier in the quantum mechanical diffusion theory of Flynn and Stoneham will not lead to large isotope effects in the activation energy.