Two-level systems: a possible structure and its role in amorphisation

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Abstract
The authors show that a particular interstitial structure in c-Si has both ring structures characteristic of a-Si and low-energy excitations of a tunneling type and a bond-switch (soliton) type. These excitations exist for reasons of symmetry not because of anomalous bond angles or lengths. They suggest these defects may act as nuclei for amorphisation under irradiation and offer a possible explanation of the observed relation between tunneling level systems and the extent of amorphisation in quartz.