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Deuterium motion in yttrium studied by ultrasonic measurements

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)
 [1]; ;  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 (United States)
  2. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
  3. Department of Physics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States)
  4. Department of Physics, University of Trondheim, NTH, N-7034 Trondheim (Norway)
  5. Institut Laue Langevin, Grenoble (France)

Ultrasonic-attenuation measurements in YD[sub 0.10] reveal broad, asymmetric attenuation peaks that are interpreted in terms of rapid motion of deuterium among interstitial sites in the Y metal lattice. The results are well described with a model involving tunneling among highly asymmetric sites. A weakly temperature-dependent relaxation rate, compatible with coupling of the sites to electrons, accounts for the relaxation up to about 70 K. At higher temperatures a strongly temperature-dependent relaxation rate becomes dominant. The major asymmetries that are responsible for the coupling of the tunneling centers to the ultrasound are attributed to the interaction between D atoms that lie on [ital different] [ital c] axes.

OSTI ID:
6490710
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States) Vol. 48:2; ISSN 0163-1829; ISSN PRBMDO
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English