Dense and nanometric electronic excitations induced by swift heavy ions in an ionic CaF2 crystal: Evidence for two thresholds of damage creation

M. Toulemonde, A. Benyagoub, C. Trautmann, N. Khalfaoui, M. Boccanfuso, C. Dufour, F. Gourbilleau, J. J. Grob, J. P. Stoquert, J. M. Costantini, F. Haas, E. Jacquet, K.-O. Voss, and A. Meftah
Phys. Rev. B 85, 054112 – Published 15 February 2012

Abstract

CaF2 crystals as representatives of the class of ionic nonamorphizable insulators were irradiated with many different swift heavy ions of energy above 0.5 MeV/u providing a broad range of electronic energy losses (Se). Beam-induced modifications were characterized by Channeling Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (C-RBS) and x-ray diffraction (XRD), complemented by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results from C-RBS give evidence of significant damage appearing above a Se threshold of 5 ± 2 keV/nm. A second critical Se appears around 18 ± 3 keV/nm; below this value the damage as function of ion fluence saturates at 20%, while above this the damage saturation level increases with Se, reaching 60% for ions of Se = 30 keV/nm. XRD measurements also show effects indicating two threshold values. Above 5 keV/nm, the widths of the XRD reflection peaks increase due to the formation of nanograins, as seen by TEM, while a significant decrease of the peak areas only occurs above 18 keV/nm. The track radii deduced from C-RBS measurements are in agreement with those extracted from the fluence evolution of the widths of the XRD peaks. Moreover, track radii deduced from the peak area analysis are slightly smaller but in agreement with previous track observations by high resolution electron microscopy. Calculations based on the inelastic thermal spike model suggest that the lower threshold at 5 keV/nm is linked to the quenching of the molten phase, whereas the threshold at 18 keV/nm can be interpreted as quenching of the boiling phase. The results of CaF2 are compared with other nonamorphizable materials such as LiF and UO2.

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  • Received 7 July 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.85.054112

©2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

M. Toulemonde1,*, A. Benyagoub1, C. Trautmann2, N. Khalfaoui1, M. Boccanfuso1, C. Dufour1, F. Gourbilleau1, J. J. Grob3, J. P. Stoquert3, J. M. Costantini4, F. Haas5, E. Jacquet1, K.-O. Voss2, and A. Meftah6

  • 1CIRIL, Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL), CEA-CNRS-ENSICAEN, BP 5133, Bd H. Becquerel, 14070 Caen, Cedex 5, France
  • 2GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
  • 3INeSS, CNRS, Univ. Strasbourg, 23 rue du loess, 67037 Strasbourg, France
  • 4CEA/SACLAY, DMN/SRMA, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
  • 5IPHC, CNRS, Univ. Strasbourg, 23 rue du loess, 67037 Strasbourg, France
  • 6LRPCSI, Université 20 août 1955-Skikda, route d'El-Hadaiek, BP 26, 21000 Skikda, Algeria

  • *toulemonde@ganil.fr; http://cimap.ensicaen.fr/

Comments & Replies

Comment on ``Dense and nanometric electronic excitations induced by swift heavy ions in an ionic CaF2 crystal: Evidence for two thresholds of damage creation''

G. Szenes
Phys. Rev. B 87, 056101 (2013)

Reply to “Comment on ‘Dense and nanometric electronic excitations induced by swift heavy ions in an ionic CaF2 crystal: Evidence for two thresholds of damage creation’ ”

M. Toulemonde, A. Benyagoub, C. Trautmann, N. Khalfaoui, M. Boccanfuso, C. Dufour, F. Gourbilleau, J. J. Grob, J. P. Stoquert, J. M. Costantini, F. Haas, E. Jacquet, K.-O. Voss, and A. Meftah
Phys. Rev. B 87, 056102 (2013)

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Vol. 85, Iss. 5 — 1 February 2012

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