Study on synergistic irradiation effects of nuclear materials based on cocktail ion beam technology

Cocktail beams, composed of multiple ion species with tailored energy and composition, have emerged as a transformative tool for simulating the synergistic irradiation effects experienced by structural materials in advanced nuclear reactors. This study demonstrates the development of cocktail ion beams at the Low Energy high-intensity heavy ion Accelerator Facility (LEAF), leveraging a fourth-generation superconducting ECR ion source (FECR) and energy modulation systems to generate high-intensity, low-energy-spread beams. Key innovations include a drift tube linac (DTL) and rebunchers, enabling precise energy tuning to align ion penetration depths. To validate the radiation-induced damage characteristics of mixed-ion beams, irradiation responses of monocrystalline copper were systematically compared across different irradiation modalities. The analysis reveals that simultaneous cocktail beam exposure induces markedly distinct microstructural evolution compared to sequential irradiation (e.g., Fe→He or He→Fe) and single-ion (e.g., Fe or He) irradiation protocols under equivalent displacement damage conditions.