In this paper, we propose an approach to estimate the induced potential, which is generated by swift heavy ions traversing a ZnO thin film, via an energy loss function (ELF). This induced potential is related to the projectile charge density, ρq(k) and is described by the extended Drude dielectric function. At zero momentum transfer, the resulting ELF exhibits good agreement with the previously reported results. The ELF, obtained by the extended Drude model, displays a realistic behavior over the Bethe ridge. It is observed that the induced potential relies on the heavy ion velocity and charge state q. Further, the numerical results show that the induced potential for neutral H, as projectile, dominates when the heavy ion velocity is less than twice the Bohr velocity vBohr of the atomic medium electrons. Conversely, for bare protons, the induced potential is dominant at projectile velocities larger than the target electron Bohr velocity. These results provide significant insights into the interactions of swift heavy ions with metal oxides, thereby paving the way for effective modification of the electro–optic and structural properties of such oxides via ion-beam interactions.
