Phase transformation quasicrystalline–amorphous in Zr–Ti–Ni–Cu by swift heavy ions

Abstract The stability of the icosahedral quasicrystalline alloy Zr 64.5 Ti 11.4 Ni 13.8 Cu 10.3 under irradiation with swift heavy ions was examined. The electronic energy loss (d E /d x ) e was varied from 18 keV/nm to 38 keV/nm and 42 keV/nm by use of 300 MeV Kr and 350 MeV and 593 MeV Au ions, respectively. The changes of the microstructure of the quasicrystalline phase were characterized ex situ by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Irradiation with 300 MeV Kr up to a fluence of 5 × 10 13  ions/cm 2 did not lead to any changes of the microstructure of the quasicrystalline phase, whereas this phase was completely amorphized by the Au-ions already after a fluence of 1 × 10 13  ions/cm 2 . After applying a lower fluence of 1 × 10 11  ions/cm 2 (593 MeV Au) single ion tracks were visualized by TEM.