Surface modification of polycrystalline oxides (V2O5, MoO3, and WO3) irradiated with high-power ion beams

Abstract

The influence of a high-power ion beam on polycrystalline oxides (V2O5, MoO3, and WO3) is investigated. Oxide irradiation with ion beams with current densities of greater than ∼30 A/cm2 is established to initiate changes in the color of irradiated layers and lead to surface-layer particle melting. It is demonstrated that a distinctive feature of the interaction between a high-power ion beam and V2O5 is the formation of surface nanosheets and nanowires whose characteristic cross-sectional size and thickness are ∼1 μm and up to ∼40 nm, respectively. The nanosheets are generated near emerging surface cracks if the beam current density is ∼100 A/cm2. Possible mechanisms of surface nanostructures formation under the action of pulsed ion beams are discussed.