About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Radiation Effects in Solid-State Materials: An SMD Symposium Honoring William J Weber
|
| Presentation Title |
Polarons Govern the Early He-Irradiation Response of Mesoporous Nanocrystalline Ceria |
| Author(s) |
Gianguido Baldinozzi, Jean-Marc Costantini |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Gianguido Baldinozzi |
| Abstract Scope |
This study examines the early-stage response of mesoporous nanocrystalline ceria films to alpha-particle irradiation, focusing on the coupled evolution of structural and electronic properties. Using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, we show that irradiation produces only minor changes in the lattice parameter and no significant accumulation of stable vacancies or interstitials. The dominant effect is a progressive increase in polaronic disorder, reflected by reduced crystallinity correlation length, phonon broadening, and redshifts of the optical absorption bands. These results indicate that free surfaces act as efficient sinks for atomic point defects, whereas electronically stabilized polarons persist and influence phonon lifetimes and optical behavior. The findings show that radiation tolerance in oxide ceramics depends not only on structural defect removal, but also on the behavior of electronic excitations. Mesoporous ceria is therefore a useful model system for understanding irradiation effects in actinide oxides and other nuclear materials. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Ceramics, Other |