Author: Ratnamala Chatterjee, Aloke Kanjilal
Institute: Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110 016, India
Rapid heavy-ion irradiation of Al62Cu25.5Fe12.5 quasicrystals is an interesting and multifaceted process capable of significantly changing the physical and chemical properties of the material. Quasicrystals with unusual symmetry and order are becoming the object of close attention in the field of materials science and nanotechnology. Heavy-ion irradiation can achieve not only a change in the structure, but also a modification of the electrophysical characteristics of the quasicrystals.
In this paper, the effects of fast heavy ion irradiation on the stable and well-studied icosahedral quasicrystalline system AlCuFe are considered. The experiments were carried out under pure electronic excitation conditions, introducing different energy ranges (from 1.2 to about 2.5 keV/A) into the system to induce electronic excitations. The choice of the ions used was based on calculations performed using Monte Carlo simulations and on existing studies on metals and metal alloys. The samples were irradiated with intensities from 10^11 to several 10^13 ions/cm², ensuring a uniform irradiation distribution. The effects of electronic excitations on the electronic structure of the quasicrystals were investigated by in situ and ex situ measurements of the resistivity as a function of fluence and temperature, respectively.
Fast heavy ions moving through the target lose their energy mainly due to inelastic collisions with electrons. It was previously believed that this effect does not occur in metallic alloys, but it was later discovered that structural changes can also occur in amorphous metals. The study of the effect of SHI irradiation on quasicrystals is of interest, since there is virtually no literature on this topic.
When interacting with ions, such quasicrystals undergo a series of complex reactions that lead to the formation of defects in the crystal lattice. These defects can affect mechanical strength, thermal stability and conductivity, opening up new horizons for the use of Al62Cu25.5Fe12.5 in various applications, including electrical engineering and protective materials.
Studying the behavior of quasicrystals under ion irradiation also allows us to expand existing theories on phase transitions and interactions in complex solids. Thus, heavy ion irradiation becomes a key tool in developing new solutions for creating highly innovative materials.