X-ray diffraction study of the damage induced in yttria-stabilized zirconia by swift heavy ion irradiations

The lattice damage was investigated by x-ray diffraction techniques in yttria-stabilized zirconia single crystals with the (100) or (110) orientation upon irradiation with swift heavy ions (from 100-MeV C to 2.6-GeV U) in a broad electronic stopping power range (from about 0.3 to $48keVnm−1$⁠). The $θ-2θ$ scans show that no amorphization or change to a new crystalline phase occurs regardless of the ion and crystal features. However, the rocking curves (⁠$ω$ scans) and reciprocal space mappings show evidence of the mosaicity of the crystals, which is produced above a threshold electronic stopping power between 18 and $27keVnm−1$⁠. This threshold is in agreement with our previous Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy/channeling spectroscopy data. Two kinds of damage phenomena are found: (i) nuclear-collision induced clusters of point defects which generate Bragg peak shifts and broadening in the $2θ-ω$ and $θ-2θ$ scans, and (ii) electronic-excitation induced lattice damage yielding broad peaks in the $ω$ scans above the stopping power threshold at high fluences.