Fuminobu Hori

Silica glass samples were implanted with 50–380 keV Ag ions. After ion implantation, some samples were subsequently irradiated with 16 MeV Au ions. The effects of the implantation and the subsequent Au ion irradiation on the optical absorption spectra and morphologies of the Ag nanoparticles produced in the samples were studied by using an ultraviolet–visible scanning spectrophotometer and a transmission electron microscope, respectively. For the samples implanted with 200 keV or 380 keV Ag ions to high fluence, optical absorption peaks appeared around 600 nm, as well as the well-known surface plasmon resonance peaks around 400 nm, and Ag spherical nanoparticles with a high spatial density were observed. The absorption peaks around 600 nm are explained as being due to interactions between the Ag nanoparticles (inter-particle interaction). Under the subsequent irradiation with 16 MeV Au ions, the optical absorption around 400 and 600 nm showed a blue shift and the peak intensity markedly decreased. Transmission electron microscopy observation revealed an elongation of the Ag nanoparticles along the direction of the 16 MeV Au irradiation, and a resulting enlargement of the distances between the nanoparticles. The change in the peak wavelength and peak intensity of the optical absorption by the 16 MeV Au irradiation can, therefore, be explained as originating from a decrease in inter-particle interaction.

The magnetic Compton profiles of Fe–50 at. % Rh intermetallic compound were measured to study the ferromagnetism induced by 200 MeV Xe ion irradiation. The magnetic effect at 50 K increases with increasing the ion-fluence. The analysis of the experimental result revealed that the values of spin moment induced by the irradiation were close to the values of magnetization obtained by a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer, suggesting that the ion irradiation mainly induces the spin magnetic moment. The difference in magnetic Compton profiles between the irradiation-induced ferromagnetism and the intrinsic ferromagnetism in pure Fe is also discussed.