Abstract
We have investigated the damage induced in single crystals of the high-Tc superconductor YBa2Cu3O7- by high-energy (2.25 GeV) Au-ion irradiation. Transmission electron microscopy characterization reveals that irradiation in the c -axis direction leads to the formation of aligned columnar defects, the diameter of which is modulated along the c axis. The columns are amorphous and the associated volume expansion causes strain in the surrounding matrix. Lobed 'bow-tie' contrast is observed in the \[001] high-resolution images of the regions surrounding the amorphous columns. It is shown that this contrast is caused by local O reordering in the a b planes to give a 90 reorientation of the orthorhombic unit cell in the affected area, this allowing partial relaxation of the tensile hoop stress around the amorphous columns.
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