Ion guiding accompanied by formation of neutrals in polyethylene terephthalate polymer nanocapillaries: Further insight into a self-organizing process

A relatively large yield of neutralized atoms was observed when 3 keV Ar⁷⁺ ions were guided trough polyethylene terephthalate nanocapillaries. Time and deposited-charge dependence of the angular distribution of both the guided ions and the neutrals was measured simultaneously using a two-dimensional multichannel plate detector. The yield of neutrals increased significantly faster than that of guided ions and saturated typically at a few percent level. In accordance with earlier observations, both the yield and the mean emission angle of the guided ions exhibited strong oscillations. For the atoms, the equilibrium was achieved not only faster, but also without significant oscillations in yield and angular position. A phase analysis of these time dependencies provides insight into the dynamic features of the self-organizing mechanisms, which leads to ion guiding in insulating nanocapillaries.