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Using Space-Time Correlations to Identify Transient Defects

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Abstract

Atomistic simulations are employed to investigate the dynamical behavior of atoms in cubic silicon carbide (SiC) following a 5 keV radiation knock. Specifically, we have computed the time-resolved van Hove self-correlation function, Gs(r,t), separately for the silicon and carbon sub-lattices. Our goal is to probe the early radiation damage mechanisms using a dynamical methodology. The simulation results show that the carbon atoms engage in a dynamic hopping mechanism as the system recovers from the radiation knock. The silicon atoms, however, exhibit a strikingly different behaviour: the time variation of 4πr2Gs(r,t) indicates a dynamic tension between the crystalline and disordered regions of the Si sub-lattice. The power-law tail of the 4πr2Gs(r,t) correlation for silicon atoms suggests a scale-free self-organized critical (SOC) state – a possible precursor to the collapse of the Si sub-lattice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA

    William Lowe & Jacob Eapen

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  1. William Lowe
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  2. Jacob Eapen
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Lowe, W., Eapen, J. Using Space-Time Correlations to Identify Transient Defects. MRS Advances 3, 1755–1760 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2018.196

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2018.196

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