Nanocrystal formation in the quartz single crystal due to thermal vibrations of dislocations

Abstract

Structural changes in the layer ~10 μm thick on the natural growth surface of the quartz single crystal with increasing temperature have been studied using infrared spectroscopy. It has been found that above 500 K the single crystal in this layer is split into nanocrystals with linear sizes from ~8 to ~28 nm. This effect has been explained by “unfreezing” transverse vibrations of growth dislocations.