Assessment of the Material Properties which Influence Shi Related Disorder Dynamics in Several Insulators

Abstract

Certain material properties have a significant impact on the degree of damage which is induced by swift heavy ions. The thermal conductivity and the threshold stopping power for defect formation may both be influenced by several material properties such as the presence of dopants/defects, irradiation temperature, and the phase of the material. Other parameters such as particle size and matrix effects for embedded nanoparticles and lattice structure/complexity also play a role in the latent disorder in certain materials. In both Y3Fe5O12 (YIG) and Si3N4 stopping power affects the morphology of latent tracks which are observed to be discontinuous at lower Se and continuous at higher Se. Analysis of Si3N4 containing impurities has shown an increased susceptibility to defect creation as a direct result of these impurities. YAlO3 (YAP) and Y3Al5O12 (YAG) have the same constituent atoms but differ in crystal structure (phase) however ions of similar stopping power induced tracks markedly different diameters in these materials. Irradiation temperature has also been observed to influence track morphology in YAP and YAG, but only at elevated temperatures (1000 K). A correlation between re-crystallization efficiency within ion tracks and lattice structure has also been observed in MgO, Al2O3 and YAG. By investigating material properties, a better understanding can be gained regarding the relationship between these properties and the dynamics of latent-track formation independent of the model which may be used to describe the processes involved