Swift Heavy Ion Irradiation on Quasicrystals

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe present level of understanding of the effects of irradiation of quasicrystalline targets with swift heavy ions has been reviewed here. The results of systematic deposition of large amount of energy densities (12 keV/nm < (dE/dx)e < 40 keV/nm) in Al-Cu-Fe based system are discussed in terms of resistivity measurements (in-situ measurements of resistivity changes with increasing flux (ions/cm2) and ex-situ resistivity vs temperature measurements before and after irradiation) & standard and high-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements made before and after irradiation. The studies are aimed at understanding the changes that may occur in these alloys as a result of the relaxation of such highly excited states of matter. Also, we attempt to learn whether such changes are typical to the long-range quasicrystallinity of the system or not.