Swift Heavy Ion (SHI) Irradiation Effect on Crystalline Materials

Single crystals of hydroxyethyl ammonium Ltartrate monohydrate (HEALT) and potassium tetrakis (thiourea) bromide (KTTB) were grown using the slow evaporation solution technique (SEST). The HEALT crystal was irradiated at room temperature with 100 MeV oxygen ions and 200 MeV gold ions, while KTTB crystals were irradiated with 40 MeV lithium ions. Both pure and irradiated crystals were characterized to investigate the effects of irradiation on their properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed defects generated as a result of irradiation. Powder Xray diffraction (PXRD) analysis indicated that the HEALT crystal experienced lattice disorder following irradiation. Additionally, both unirradiated and irradiated single crystals were characterized using photoluminescence and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy to examine radiation-induced defects. A decrease in band gap values was observed in the irradiated samples. The effects of swift heavy ion beams on dielectric dispersion were thoroughly analyzed and summarized.