Comprehensive understanding of hillocks and ion tracks in ceramics irradiated with swift heavy ions

Ishikawa, Norito; Taguchi, Tomitsugu*; Ogawa, Hiroaki

Quantum Beam Science (Internet), 4(4), p.43_1 - 43_14, 2020/12

https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs4040043

Amorphizable ceramics were irradiated with 200 MeV Au ions, and the as-irradiated samples were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ion track diameter and hillock diameter are similar for all the amorphizable ceramics. For SrTiO and niobium-doped STO, 200 MeV Au ion irradiation and TEM observation were also performed. The ion track diameters in these materials are found to be markedly smaller than the hillock diameters. The ion tracks in these materials exhibit inhomogeneity, which is similar to that reported for non-amorphizable ceramics. On the other hand, the hillocks appear to be amorphous, and the amorphous feature is in contrast to the crystalline feature of hillocks observed in non-amorphizable ceramics. No marked difference is recognized between the nanostructures in STO and those in Nb-STO.

Analysis of ion-irradiation induced lattice expansion and ferromagnetic state in CeO by using Poisson distribution function

Yamamoto, Yuki*; Ishikawa, Norito; Hori, Fuminobu*; Iwase, Akihiro*

Quantum Beam Science (Internet), 4(3), p.26_1 - 26_13, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs4030026

The lattice constant and the magnetic state of CeO are modified by the irradiation with 200 MeV Xe ions. Under the assumption that these modifications are induced in the narrow one-dimensional region (the ion track) along the ion beam path, the dependence of the lattice constant and the saturation magnetization of CeO on the Xe ion fluence can be analyzed by using the Poisson distribution function. The analysis reveals that the lattice constant inside the ion track, which is larger than outside the ion track is not affected by the overlapping of the ion track. The present result implies that the Poisson distribution function is useful for describing the effect of ion track overlapping on the ion irradiation induced ferromagnetic state in CeO.

Degradation prediction using displacement damage dose method for AlInGaP solar cells by changing displacement threshold energy under irradiation with low-energy electrons

Okuno, Yasuki*; Ishikawa, Norito; Akiyoshi, Masafumi*; Ando, Hirokazu*; Harumoto, Masaki*; Imaizumi, Mitsuru*

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 59(7), p.074001_1 - 074001_7, 2020/07

https://doi.org/10.35848/1347-4065/ab9713

Performance degradation prediction for space solar cells under irradiation with low-energy electrons is greatly affected by displacement threshold energy (Ed) when a displacement damage dose (DDD) model is used. According to recent studies, the Ed of P atoms is much lower than the conventional Ed value in InP-type solar cells irradiated with low-energy electrons. This indicates that the value of Ed typically used in DDD model leads to significant error in performance degradation prediction. In this study, degradation of AlInGaP solar cells is observed after irradiation with 60 keV electrons. The results suggest that the Ed of P atoms in AlInGaP solar cells is much smaller than the conventionally used Ed value. By using the DDD model with the Ed value obtained in this study, we demonstrated that the performance degradation predicted by the DDD model agrees well with the experimental results.

Matrix-material dependence on the elongation of embedded gold nanoparticles induced by 4 MeV C and 200 MeV Xe ion irradiation

Li, R.*; Narumi, Kazumasa*; Chiba, Atsuya*; Hirano, Yu*; Tsuya, Daiju*; Yamamoto, Shunya*; Saito, Yuichi*; Okubo, Nariaki; Ishikawa, Norito; Pang, C.*; et al.

Nanotechnology, 31(26), p.265606_1 - 265606_9, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/ab7e70

We report the elongation of embedded Au nanoparticles (NPs) in three different matrices under irradiations of 4 MeV C ions and 200 MeV Xe ions. Large elongation of Au NPs was observed for crystalline indium tin oxide (ITO) under both 4 MeV C and 200 MeV Xe irradiation. The ITO layer preserved the crystallinity even after large elongation was induced. This is the first report of the elongation of metal NPs in a crystalline matrix.

Strong flux pinning by columnar defects with directionally dependent morphologies in GdBCO-coated conductors irradiated with 80 MeV Xe ions

Sueyoshi, Tetsuro*; Kotaki, Tetsuya*; Furuki, Yuichi*; Fujiyoshi, Takanori*; Semboshi, Satoshi*; Ozaki, Toshinori*; Sakane, Hitoshi*; Kudo, Masaki*; Yasuda, Kazuhiro*; Ishikawa, Norito

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 59(2), p.023001_1 - 023001_7, 2020/02

https://doi.org/10.35848/1347-4065/ab6f2b

We show that Xe ion irradiation with 80 MeV to GdBaCuOy-coated conductors creates different morphologies of columnar defects (CDs) depending on the irradiation angles relative to the c-axis: continuous CDs with a larger diameter are formed for oblique irradiation at = 45, whereas the same ion beam at a different angle ( = 0) induces the formation of discontinuous CDs. The direction-dependent morphologies of CDs significantly affect the angular behavior of the critical current density .

Depth profiles of energy deposition near incident surface irradiated with swift heavy ions

Ogawa, Tatsuhiko; Ishikawa, Norito; Kai, Takeshi

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 461, p.272 - 275, 2019/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2019.10.010

Heavy ion irradiation, which deposits energy locally in materials, is widely used to study new material modification and radiation-induced damage. So far, radial distribution of energy deposition by heavy ions were well studied. By contrast, depth profile of energy deposition was usually assumed to be uniform but the energy deposition near the incident surface is likely suppressed because the delta-rays are pushed by the incident heavy ions. In this study, spatial distribution of energy deposition in the materials exposed to heavy ions is calculated by using a track structure simulation code RITRACKS. The result showed that energy deposition is suppressed in the first 2 nm of water and that beyond 2 nm is uniform. This result can be applied to the materials other than water by scaling with electron density. It is indicated that reactor fuel pins damaged by fission products and the materials modified by heavy ions receive less energy deposition and less radiation effect in the first 2 nm.

FE-SEM observations of multiple nanohillocks on SrTiO irradiated with swift heavy ions

Kitamura, Akane; Ishikawa, Norito; Kondo, Keietsu; Fujimura, Yuki; Yamamoto, Shunya*; Yamaki, Tetsuya*

Transactions of the Materials Research Society of Japan, 44(3), p.85 - 88, 2019/06

https://doi.org/10.14723/tmrsj.44.85

Swift heavy ions can create nanosized hillocks on the surfaces of various ceramics. When these materials are irradiated with swift heavy ions at normal incidence, each ion impact results in the formation of a single hillock on the surfaces. In contrast, irradiation at grazing incidence forms chains of multiple hillocks on the surface, for example, for strontium titanate (SrTiO). So far, chains of multiple hillocks have been investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). It should be noted that AFM measurements involve systematic errors of several nanometers due to the finite size of the probe tip. Consequently, it is possible that the image of one hillock may merge with that of a neighboring hillock even if the two hillocks are well separated. In contrast to AFM, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) is a useful technique for obtaining higher-resolution images. In this study, we observed multiple nanohillocks on the surfaces of SrTiO using FE-SEM. Crystals of SrTiO(100) and 0.05 wt% Nb-doped SrTiO(100) were irradiated with 350 MeV Xe ions, respectively, at grazing incidence, where the angle between the sample surface and the beam was less than 2. On the SrTiO surface, a chain of periodic nanohillocks is created along the ion path. In contrast, black lines accompanied by hillocks are observed on the Nb-doped SrTiO surface.

Ag nanoparticles embedded in Nd:YAG crystals irradiated with tilted beam of 200 MeV Xe ions; Optical dichroism correlated to particle reshaping

Li, R.*; Pang, C.*; Amekura, Hiroshi*; Ren, F.*; Hbner, R.*; Zhou, S.*; Ishikawa, Norito; Okubo, Nariaki; Chen, F.*

Nanotechnology, 29(42), p.424001_1 - 424001_8, 2018/10

https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/aad75b

We report on the fabrication of reshaped Ag nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in a Nd:YAG crystal by combining Ag ion implantation and swift heavy Xe ion irradiation. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect is proved to be efficiently modulated according to the phenomenon of polarization-dependent absorption. The LSPR peak located at 448 nm shows red shift and blue shift at 0 degree and 90 degree polarization, respectively, which is in good agreement with calculation by discrete dipole approximation. Based on the near-field intensity distribution, the interaction between reshaped NPs shows a non-ignorable effect on the optical absorption. Furthermore, the polarization-dependence of the photoluminescence (PL) intensity is analyzed, which is positively related to the modulated LSPR absorption. It demonstrates the potential of the enhancement of PL intensity by embedded plasmonic Ag NPs.

X-ray absorption near edge structure and first-principles spectral investigations of cationic disorder in MgAlO induced by swift heavy ions

Yoshioka, Satoru*; Tsuruta, Konosuke*; Yamamoto, Tomokazu*; Yasuda, Kazuhiro*; Matsumura, Sho*; Ishikawa, Norito; Kobayashi, Eiichi*

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 20(7), p.4962 - 4969, 2018/02

https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CP07591J

Cationic disorder in the MgAlO spinel induced by swift heavy ions was investigated using the X-ray absorption near edge structure. With changes in the irradiation fluences of 200 MeV Xe ions, the Mg K-edge and Al K-edge spectra were synchronously changed. The calculated spectra based on density function theory indicate that the change in the experimental spectra was due to cationic disorder between Mg in tetrahedral sites and Al in octahedral sites. These results suggest a high inversion degree to an extent that the completely random configuration is achieved in MgAlO induced by the high density electronic excitation under swift heavy ion irradiation.

ScPdAl; New polymorphic phase in Al-Pd-Sc system

Pospisil, J.; Haga, Yoshinori; Nakajima, Kunihisa; Ishikawa, Norito; Csaov, I.*; Tateiwa, Naoyuki; Yamamoto, Etsuji; Yamamura, Tomoo*

Solid State Communications, 268, p.12 - 14, 2017/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssc.2017.09.001