IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v3y2012i1d10.1038_ncomms2117.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Quantum oscillations of nitrogen atoms in uranium nitride

Author

Listed:
  • A.A. Aczel

    (Neutron Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • G.E. Granroth

    (Neutron Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • G.J. MacDougall

    (Neutron Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • W.J.L. Buyers

    (Chalk River Laboratories, Canadian Neutron Beam Center, National Research Council)

  • D.L. Abernathy

    (Neutron Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • G.D. Samolyuk

    (Physical Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • G.M. Stocks

    (Physical Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • S.E. Nagler

    (Neutron Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    CIRE, University of Tennessee)

Abstract

The vibrational excitations of crystalline solids corresponding to acoustic or optic one-phonon modes appear as sharp features in measurements such as neutron spectroscopy. In contrast, many-phonon excitations generally produce a complicated, weak and featureless response. Here we present time-of-flight neutron scattering measurements for the binary solid uranium nitride, showing well-defined, equally spaced, high-energy vibrational modes in addition to the usual phonons. The spectrum is that of a single atom, isotropic quantum harmonic oscillator and characterizes independent motions of light nitrogen atoms, each found in an octahedral cage of heavy uranium atoms. This is an unexpected and beautiful experimental realization of one of the fundamental, exactly solvable problems in quantum mechanics. There are also practical implications, as the oscillator modes must be accounted for in the design of generation IV nuclear reactors that plan to use uranium nitride as a fuel.

Suggested Citation

  • A.A. Aczel & G.E. Granroth & G.J. MacDougall & W.J.L. Buyers & D.L. Abernathy & G.D. Samolyuk & G.M. Stocks & S.E. Nagler, 2012. "Quantum oscillations of nitrogen atoms in uranium nitride," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 1-7, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:3:y:2012:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms2117
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2117
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2117
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms2117?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:3:y:2012:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms2117. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.