Combined experimental and computational study of the recrystallization process induced by electronic interactions of swift heavy ions with silicon carbide crystals

The healing effect of intense electronic energy deposition arising during swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation is demonstrated in the case of 3C-SiC damaged by nuclear energy deposition. Experimental (ion channeling experiments) and computational (molecular dynamics simulations) studies provide consistent indications of disorder decrease after SHI irradiation. Furthermore, both methods establish that SHI-induced recrystallization takes place at amorphous-crystalline interfaces. The recovery process is unambiguously accounted for by the thermal spike phenomenon.