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Title: Kinetics of color center formation in silica irradiated with swift heavy ions: Thresholding and formation efficiency

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4757886· OSTI ID:22080486
 [1];  [1]; ;  [2];  [1]
  1. Centro de Micro-Analisis de Materiales, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (UAM), Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain)
  2. Instituto de Fusion Nuclear, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, C/Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, E-28006 Madrid (Spain)

We have determined the cross-section {sigma} for color center generation under single Br ion impacts on amorphous SiO{sub 2}. The evolution of the cross-sections, {sigma}(E) and {sigma}(S{sub e}), show an initial flat stage that we associate to atomic collision mechanisms. Above a certain threshold value (S{sub e} > 2 keV/nm), roughly coinciding with that reported for the onset of macroscopic disorder (compaction), {sigma} shows a marked increase due to electronic processes. In this regime, a energetic cost of around 7.5 keV is necessary to create a non bridging oxygen hole center-E Prime (NBOHC/E Prime ) pair, whatever the input energy. The data appear consistent with a non-radiative decay of self-trapped excitons.

OSTI ID:
22080486
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 101, Issue 15; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English