Inelastic Neutron Scattering Investigation in Glassy SiSe2: Complex Dynamics at the Atomic Scale

J Phys Chem Lett. 2013 Apr 4;4(7):1143-7. doi: 10.1021/jz400232c. Epub 2013 Mar 25.

Abstract

A detailed investigation of the THz dynamics in glassy SiSe2 by means of neutron inelastic scattering is presented. To carefully map the translational dynamics and the region of the boson peak, we carried out two different experiments with sharp and broad resolutions coupled with a narrow and a wide kinematic range, respectively. Data show a complex pattern of excitations made up of three components. The most intense one is the prolongation of the longitudinal acoustic mode while two other modes appear in the boson peak region below 3 meV. We propose an interaction model that allows for a consistent identification of the nature of these modes.

Keywords: boson peak; chalcogenide; collective dynamics; glasses; vibrational modes.