Density and structural effects in the radiation tolerance of TiO2 polymorphs

The radiation response of TiO2 has been studied using molecular dynamics. The simulations are motivated by experimental observations that the three low-pressure polymorphs, rutile, brookite and anatase, exhibit vastly different tolerances to amorphization under ion-beam irradiation. To understand th...

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Main Authors: Qin, M., Kuo, E., Whittle, K., Middleburgh, S., Robinson, Marc, Marks, Nigel, Lumpkin, G.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd. 2013
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/27853
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author Qin, M.
Kuo, E.
Whittle, K.
Middleburgh, S.
Robinson, Marc
Marks, Nigel
Lumpkin, G.
author_facet Qin, M.
Kuo, E.
Whittle, K.
Middleburgh, S.
Robinson, Marc
Marks, Nigel
Lumpkin, G.
author_sort Qin, M.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The radiation response of TiO2 has been studied using molecular dynamics. The simulations are motivated by experimental observations that the three low-pressure polymorphs, rutile, brookite and anatase, exhibit vastly different tolerances to amorphization under ion-beam irradiation. To understand the role of structure we perform large numbers of simulations using the small thermal spike method. We quantify to high statistical accuracy the number of defects created as a function of temperature and structure type, and reproduce all the main trends observed experimentally. To evaluate a hypothesis that volumetric strain relative to the amorphous phase is an important driving force for defect recovery, we perform spike simulations in which the crystalline density is varied over a wide range. Remarkably, the large differences between the polymorphs disappear once the density difference is taken into account. This finding demonstrates that density is an important factor which controls radiation tolerance in TiO2.
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publisher Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-278532019-02-19T05:35:24Z Density and structural effects in the radiation tolerance of TiO2 polymorphs Qin, M. Kuo, E. Whittle, K. Middleburgh, S. Robinson, Marc Marks, Nigel Lumpkin, G. The radiation response of TiO2 has been studied using molecular dynamics. The simulations are motivated by experimental observations that the three low-pressure polymorphs, rutile, brookite and anatase, exhibit vastly different tolerances to amorphization under ion-beam irradiation. To understand the role of structure we perform large numbers of simulations using the small thermal spike method. We quantify to high statistical accuracy the number of defects created as a function of temperature and structure type, and reproduce all the main trends observed experimentally. To evaluate a hypothesis that volumetric strain relative to the amorphous phase is an important driving force for defect recovery, we perform spike simulations in which the crystalline density is varied over a wide range. Remarkably, the large differences between the polymorphs disappear once the density difference is taken into account. This finding demonstrates that density is an important factor which controls radiation tolerance in TiO2. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/27853 10.1088/0953-8984/25/35/355402 Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd. fulltext
spellingShingle Qin, M.
Kuo, E.
Whittle, K.
Middleburgh, S.
Robinson, Marc
Marks, Nigel
Lumpkin, G.
Density and structural effects in the radiation tolerance of TiO2 polymorphs
title Density and structural effects in the radiation tolerance of TiO2 polymorphs
title_full Density and structural effects in the radiation tolerance of TiO2 polymorphs
title_fullStr Density and structural effects in the radiation tolerance of TiO2 polymorphs
title_full_unstemmed Density and structural effects in the radiation tolerance of TiO2 polymorphs
title_short Density and structural effects in the radiation tolerance of TiO2 polymorphs
title_sort density and structural effects in the radiation tolerance of tio2 polymorphs
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/27853