Modulating phononic landscapes: The role of silicon ion bombardment in tailoring Si/Si+Ge and SiO2/SiO2+Ge superlattices for advanced neutron superreflector applications

• Silicon ion bombardment effectively modulates phononic properties in Si/Si+Ge and SiO₂/SiO₂+Ge superlattices. • Observed redshifts in transverse and longitudinal optical phonon modes confirm phononic landscape modulation. • Enhanced phonon engineering has potential applications in improving neutron reflectivity and thermal management. • High-precision ion implantation and FTIR spectroscopy were used to study these phononic alterations. • Findings offer valuable insights for material science, advancing the design of neutron superreflectors in nuclear engineering. This study investigates the effects of silicon ion bombardment on the phononic properties of Si/Si+Ge and SiO2/SiO2+Ge superlattices to enhance neutron superreflector technology. Through precise ion implantation and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), we observed significant alterations in transverse and longitudinal optical phonon modes. The Si/Si+Ge system exhibited notable blueshifts and intensity changes, while SiO2/SiO2+Ge showed increased lattice disorder and peak broadening. These findings highlight ion bombardment's potential to optimize phononic landscapes for improved nuclear reactor safety and efficiency via advanced phonon engineering.