Ultrafast laser and swift heavy ion irradiation: Response of Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} and ZrO{sub 2} to intense electronic excitation

Journal Article · Mon Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4919720· OSTI ID:22398961

Rittman, Dylan R. ^[1]; Tracy, Cameron L.; Cusick, Alex B.; Abere, Michael J.; Yalisove, Steven M. ^[2]; Torralva, Ben ^[3]; Ewing, Rodney C. ^[4]

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1. Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)
2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)
3. Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)
4. Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

In order to investigate the response of materials to extreme conditions, there are several approaches to depositing extremely high concentrations of energy into very small volumes of material, including ultrafast laser and swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation. In this study, crystalline-to-crystalline phase transformations in cubic Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} and monoclinic ZrO{sub 2} have been investigated using ultrafast laser irradiation. The phases produced by the extreme conditions of irradiation were characterized by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} exhibited a cubic-to-monoclinic phase transformation, as evidenced by the appearance of the monoclinic (402{sup ¯}), (003), (310), and (112{sup ¯}) peaks in the GIXRD pattern and of four A{sub g} and three B{sub g} Raman modes. ZrO{sub 2} underwent a monoclinic-to-tetragonal phase transformation, as evidenced by the emergence of the tetragonal (101) peak in the GIXRD pattern and of E{sub g} and A{sub 1g} Raman modes. The new phases formed by ultrafast laser irradiation are high temperature polymorphs of the two materials. No evidence of amorphization was seen in the GIXRD data, though Raman spectroscopy indicated point defect accumulation. These results are identical to those produced by irradiation with SHIs, which also deposit energy in materials primarily through electronic excitation. The similarity in damage process and material response between ultrafast laser and SHI irradiation suggests a fundamental relationship between these two techniques.

• OSTI ID: 22398961
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 17; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
AMORPHOUS STATE
CONCENTRATION RATIO
EXCITATION
GADOLINIUM OXIDES
HEAVY IONS
IRRADIATION
LASER RADIATION
MONOCLINIC LATTICES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
POINT DEFECTS
RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES