Synergistic effects of nuclear and electronic energy deposition on damage production in KTaO₃

Ion irradiation of KTaO₃ has been performed to investigate the evolution of irradiation damage with and without significant electronic energy deposition. Damage accumulation under irradiation with 2 MeV Au ions follows a direct-impact/defect-stimulated model, and occurs more rapidly than in SrTiO₃ under similar conditions. Electronic energy deposition from 21 MeV Ni ions creates negligible damage in pristine KTaO₃ to depths of 1 micron; however, damage is greatly enhanced in samples containing pre-existing defects, as evidenced by rapid amorphization due to track formation. The cross-sections for amorphous tracks show a nearly linear dependence on initial disorder, comparable with SrTiO₃. IMPACT STATEMENT Structural modification in KTaO₃ is sensitive to both electronic and nuclear energy deposition that can be controlled to exploit promising electronic and optical functionalities.