Evidence for moving breathers in a layered crystal insulator at 300 K

We report the ejection of atoms at a crystal surface caused by energetic breathers which have travelled more than 107 unit cells in atomic chain directions. The breathers were created by bombardment of a crystal face with heavy ions. This effect was observed at 300 K in the layered crystal muscovite, which has linear chains of atoms for which the surrounding lattice has C2 symmetry. The experimental techniques described could be used to study breathers in other materials and configurations.