Structure evolution of h.c.p./c.c.p. metal oxide interfaces in solid-state reactions.

The structure of crystalline interfaces plays an important role in solid-state reactions. The Al2O3/MgAl2O4/MgO system provides an ideal model system for investigating the mechanisms underlying the migration of interfaces during interface reaction. MgAl2O4 layers have been grown between Al2O3 and MgO, and the atomic structure of Al2O3/MgAl2O4 interfaces at different growth stages was characterized using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. The oxygen sublattice transforms from hexagonal close-packed (h.c.p.) stacking in Al2O3 to cubic close-packed (c.c.p.) stacking in MgAl2O4. Partial dislocations associated with steps are observed at the interface. At the reaction-controlled early growth stages, such partial dislocations coexist with the edge dislocations. However, at the diffusion-controlled late growth stages, such partial dislocations are dominant. The observed structures indicate that progression of the Al2O3/MgAl2O4 interface into Al2O3 is accomplished by the glide of partial dislocations accompanied by the exchange of Al3+ and Mg2+ cations. The interface migration may be envisaged as a plane-by-plane zipper-like motion, which repeats along the interface facilitating its propagation. MgAl2O4 grains can adopt two crystallographic orientations with a twinning orientation relationship, and grow by dislocations gliding in opposite directions. Where the oppositely propagating partial dislocations and interface steps meet, interlinked twin boundaries and incoherent Σ3 grain boundaries form. The newly grown MgAl2O4 grains compete with each other, leading to a growth selection and successive coarsening of the MgAl2O4 grains. This understanding could help to interpret the interface reaction or phase transformation of a wide range of materials that exhibit a similar h.c.p./c.c.p. transition.

Towards weighing individual atoms by high-angle scattering of electrons.

We consider theoretically the energy loss of electrons scattered to high angles when assuming that the primary beam can be limited to a single atom. We discuss the possibility of identifying the isotopes of light elements and of extracting information about phonons in this signal. The energy loss is related to the mass of the much heavier nucleus, and is spread out due to atomic vibrations. Importantly, while the width of the broadening is much larger than the energy separation of isotopes, only the shift in the peak positions must be detected if the beam is limited to a single atom. We conclude that the experimental case will be challenging but is not excluded by the physical principles as far as considered here. Moreover, the initial experiments demonstrate that the separation of gold and carbon based on a signal that is related to their mass, rather than their atomic number.

Atomic structure from large-area, low-dose exposures of materials: a new route to circumvent radiation damage.

Beam-induced structural modifications are a major nuisance in the study of materials by high-resolution electron microscopy. Here, we introduce a new approach to circumvent the radiation damage problem by a statistical treatment of large, noisy, low-dose data sets of non-periodic configurations (e.g. defects) in the material. We distribute the dose over a mixture of different defect structures at random positions and with random orientations, and recover representative model images via a maximum likelihood search. We demonstrate reconstructions from simulated images at such low doses that the location of individual entities is not possible. The approach may open a route to study currently inaccessible beam-sensitive configurations.

Structural modifications during heating of bulk nanocrystalline FeAl produced by high-pressure torsion.

The deformation-induced nanostructure developed during high-pressure torsion of B2 long-range ordered FeAl is shown to be unstable upon heating. The structural changes were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and microhardness measurements. Heating up to 220 °C leads to the recurrence of the chemical long-range order that is destroyed during deformation. It is shown that the transition to the long-range-ordered phase evolves in the form of small ordered domains homogeneously distributed inside the nanosized grains. At temperatures between 220 and 370 °C recovery of dislocations and antiphase boundary faults cause a reduction in the grain size from 77 to 35 nm. Grain growth occurs at temperatures above 370 °C. The evolution of the strength monitored by microhardness is discussed in the framework of grain-size hardening and hardening by defect recovery.