Radiation-Induced Disorder and Lattice Relaxation in Gd3Ga5O12 Under Swift Xe Ion Irradiation


Karipbayev Z.T. Aralbayeva G.M. Zhalgas A.T. Burkanova K. Zhunusbekov A.M. Manika I. Akilbekov A. Bakytkyzy A. Ubizskii S. Sagyndykova G.E. Konuhova M. Sarakovskis A. Smortsova Y. Popov A.I.
December 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)

Crystals
2025#15Issue 12

This study presents a comprehensive Raman spectroscopic and mechanical investigation of Gd3Ga5O12 (GGG) single crystals irradiated with 231 MeV 131Xe ions at fluences ranging from 1 × 1011 to 3.3 × 1013 ions/cm2. Raman analysis reveals that all fundamental vibrational modes of the garnet structure remain observable up to the highest fluence, with the preservation of garnet crystalline topology/absence of secondary crystalline phases. However, significant line broadening (FWHM increase by 20–100%) and low-frequency shifts indicate progressive lattice disorder and phonon-defect scattering. High-frequency Ga-O stretching modes (A1g, T2g ~740 cm−1) remain the most resistant to irradiation, while low-energy translational modes involving Gd3+ ions exhibit pronounced degradation and partial disappearance at high fluence. Complementary nanoindentation measurements show radiation-induced softening: hardness decreases by up to ≈60% at 3.3 × 1013 ions/cm2, consistent with amorphization and overlapping ion tracks (~10–12 μm deep). Raman spectroscopy shows that the garnet lattice remains as the only crystalline phase up to 3.3 × 1013 ions/cm2, while significant line broadening, mode suppression and a strong hardness decrease indicate progressive structural disorder and partial amorphization of the near-surface region. These results demonstrate that GGG maintains crystalline integrity below the track-overlap threshold (~6 keV/nm) but undergoes strong structural relaxation and mechanical weakening once this limit is exceeded. A new analytical methodology has been developed to quantify radiation-induced structural degradation.

Gd3Ga5O12 single crystals , nanoindentation , optical absorbance , radiation-induced defects , Raman spectra , scintillation materials

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Department of Technical Physics, Institute of Physics and Technology, L.N. Gumilyov, Eurasian National University, Satpayev Street 2, Astana, 010008, Kazakhstan
Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Kengaraga 8, Street, Riga, LV-1063, Latvia
Semiconductor Electronics Department, Lviv Polytechnic National University, S. Bandera Street 12, Lviv, 79013, Ukraine
Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, 22603, Germany

Department of Technical Physics
Institute of Solid State Physics
Semiconductor Electronics Department
Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)

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