MgO surface lattice phonons observation during Interstellar ice transition

TL;DR

This study uses MgO surface lattice phonons to investigate the structural phase transition in amorphous water ice relevant to interstellar environments, employing electron diffraction and quantum tools for precise analysis.

Contribution

It presents the first observation of MgO surface lattice phonons during interstellar ice transition using a microcantilever sensor and electron diffraction, advancing surface stress characterization methods.

Findings

Phonon maximum value of 1.23 ± 0.02 estimated during ice transition.

Surface stress mapping of structural phase transition achieved.

Method establishes a new tool for studying surface mechanical strains.

Abstract

Relevant information on the origins of the solar system and the early evolution of life itself can be derive from systematic and controlled exploration of amorphous water ice here on Earth. Therefore, over the last decades, a huge effort on experimental methodologies has been made to study the multiple crystal ice phases, which are observed outside our home-gravitational-potential. By employing (100)-oriented MgO lattice surface as a microcantilever sensor, we conducted the first ever study on the dynamics of the Structural Phase Transition at 185 K in amorphous water ice by means of coherent elastic scattering of electron diffraction. We estimate the amount of phonons caused by this transition applying precise quantum computing key tools, resulting in a maximum value of 1.23 $\pm$ 0.02. Further applications of our microcantilever sensor were assessed using unambiguous mapping of the surface stress induced by the c(4$\times$2) $\longleftrightarrow$ p(3$\times$2) Structural Phase Transition of the interstellar ice formulated on the Williamsom-Hall model. This development paves the way and thus establishes an efficient characterization tool of the surface mechanical strains of materials with potential applications arising from interstellar ice inclusive glaciers to the wide spectrum of solid-state physics.