Tunable Hypersonic Resonators via Electron‐Irradiation‐Induced Giant Modulation of Microparticle Elasticity

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to adjust the elasticity of silica microparticles using electron beams, enabling better control of sound waves in advanced materials.

Contribution

A novel method to rapidly and significantly tune microparticle elasticity via electron irradiation is presented.

Findings

Moderate electron beam exposure induces rapid and large elasticity changes in Stöber silica microparticles.

Brillouin light scattering confirms irradiation-induced stiffening of nanoparticle contacts.

The technique enables coupling of phononic properties with electromagnetic fields for new material applications.

Abstract

The ability to modulate the elastic properties of nanostructured objects is crucial for the development of innovative materials able to control the propagation of acoustic waves (phonons) in the hypersonic frequency regime, with applications ranging from acousto‐ to thermo‐optical devices. Here, an advanced strategy is explored to finely tune the elastic properties of Stöber silica microparticles, commonly used building blocks for phononic materials. Using moderate electron beam energies in a scanning electron microscope, a controlled, huge and rapid particle elasticity tuning is demonstrated, which is investigated by Brillouin light scattering. The findings are interpreted in terms of an irradiation‐induced stiffening of the contacts between the primary nanoparticles composing the Stöber particle, attributable to changes in the silica network through radiolytic processes. The versatile control of the mechanical properties of microparticles, combined with their electret‐like behavior upon charging, offers broad‐spectrum possibilities for coupling phononic properties with external electromagnetic fields, paving the way for innovative phononic materials.

A strategy is presented to tune the elastic properties of Stöber silica microparticles, widely used in phononic materials, by exposing them to moderate electron beam energies. This results in rapid elasticity changes, investigated via Brillouin light scattering, and attributed to radiation‐induced stiffening. This approach offers new possibilities for coupling phononic properties with electromagnetic fields in advanced materials.

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