On the use of the $^{16}$O($^4$He,$^4$He)$^{16}$O resonance for the evaluation of radiation damage in oxides

This paper deals with the evaluation of the radiation damage induced in the various sublattices of oxide single crystals submitted to irradiation with energetic ions. The study is focused on the depth distribution of the disorder (disorder profile) and the variation of the disorder as a function of the ion fluence (disordering kinetics). More specifically we discuss the pertinence of the use of the standard RBS or of the $^{16}$O($^4$He,$^4$He)$^{16}$O resonance at 3.04 MeV for the study of the anionic sublattice in oxides with different cation masses. The experimental results obtained on several binary oxides indicate that the RBS mode is better suited for the study of oxides with low cation mass (e.g. SiO$_2$), whereas the resonant mode is more adapted to the study of oxides with high cation mass (e.g. UO$_2$). In the medium mass region (illustrated by ZrO$_2$), either the RBS or the resonant modes can be used depending whether the disorder profile or the disordering kinetics are evaluated