# Corrections to sink strengths used in rate equation simulations of defects in solids

## TL;DR

This paper reveals that sink strengths in rate equation simulations of defect dynamics are significantly affected by detrapping processes, and provides a theory to determine accurate sink strengths to improve simulation reliability.

## Contribution

It introduces a new theoretical approach to account for detrapping effects on sink strengths in defect simulations, addressing a key limitation of previous models.

## Key findings

- Sink strength for detrapped defects is much larger than previously assumed.
- Omitting detrapping dependence can lead to incorrect simulation results.
- The proposed theory improves the accuracy of defect dynamics modeling.

## Abstract

The mean-field rate equations have proven to be a versatile method in simulating defect dynamics and temporal changes in the micro-structure of materials. However, the reliability and usefulness of the method depends critically on the defect interaction parameters used. In this study, we show that the sink strength depends also on the detrapping or dissociation process. The sink strength for a defect that is detrapped, is much larger than the values usually used. We present a theory how to determine the appropriate sink strength, and show that the rate equation method, in some cases, gives wrong results if the detrapping dependence on the sink strength parameter is omitted.