We show that in situ ion irradiation transient grating spectroscopy (I3TGS) can be used to monitor the real-time evolution of vacancy concentration generated by self-ion radiation damage in Cu-based alloys. Surface acoustic wave (SAW) frequencies are shown, using a combination of theory and experiment, to reveal vacancy concentrations and their kinetics in real-time. These results are shown to agree with corresponding kinetic Monte Carlo simulations at similar temperatures and dose rates. These results suggest the utility of TGS as a non-contact, non-destructive tool for real-time defect monitoring.
@article{arxiv.2602.18608,
title = {Real-time vacancy concentration evolution revealed via heavy ion irradiation experiments},
author = {Elena Botica-Artalejo and Gregory Wallace and Michael P. Short},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.18608},
year = {2026}
}