Eur. Phys. J. B 3, 447-454 (1998)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510050334

Anharmonic dynamical behaviour in bcc zirconium

¹ Physik Department E 13, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
² Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, CEN Saclay, France

Corresponding author: ^a dolivier@physik.tu-muenchen.de

Received: 24 December 1997
Revised: 9 March 1998
Accepted: 19 March 1998
Published online: 15 June 1998

Abstract

We present inelastic neutron scattering measurements of the low energy and strongly damped phonons in the high temperature bcc phase of zirconium. These phonons were investigated at different scattering vectors but equivalent phonon wave vectors in different Brillouin zones or along different but equivalent paths in the same Brillouin zone. Neither the observed differences in intensity nor in line shapes can be explained by the coherent one-phonon scattering law . This leads to an apparent violation of the fundamental symmetry of lattice dynamics. Taking into account the strong anharmonicity of these phonons, interferences between one- and multi-phonon scattering are held responsible for these effects. Measurements in different scattering planes reveal that due to the symmetry of the bcc lattice, these effects can only be observed in certain directions.