Effect of antiphase boundaries on the electronic structure and bonding character of intermetallic systems: NiAl

Domain topology and domain switching kinetics in a hybrid improper ferroelectric

Charged polar interfaces such as charged ferroelectric walls or heterostructured interfaces of ZnO/(Zn,Mg)O and LaAlO3/SrTiO3, across which the normal component of electric polarization changes suddenly, can host large two-dimensional conduction. Charged ferroelectric walls, which are energetically unfavourable in general, were found to be mysteriously abundant in hybrid improper ferroelectric (Ca,Sr)3Ti2O7 crystals. From the exploration of antiphase boundaries in bilayer-perovskites, here we discover that each of four polarization-direction states is degenerate with two antiphase domains, and these eight structural variants form a Z4 × Z2 domain structure with Z3 vortices and five distinct types of domain walls, whose topology is directly relevant to the presence of abundant charged walls. We also discover a zipper-like nature of antiphase boundaries, which are the reversible creation/annihilation centres of pairs of two types of ferroelectric walls (and also Z3-vortex pairs) in 90° and 180° polarization switching. Our results demonstrate the unexpectedly rich nature of hybrid improper ferroelectricity.

Energy investigation of effects of O on mechanical properties of NiAl intermetallics

We have investigated effects of O on mechanical properties of NiAl by calculating the cleavage energy (γ(C)) and the unstable stacking fault energy (γ(us)) using a first-principles method. O is shown to reduce γ(C)/γ(us) for the [001](110) and [100](001) slip systems, indicating that the presence of O should be associated with the ductility reduction of NiAl. Further, γ(C)/γ(us) of the NiAl-O system can be increased by Cr, suggesting the possibility to suppress the negative effect of O via alloying elements.

Bonding characteristics in NiAl intermetallics with O impurity: a first-principles computational tensile test

We have performed a first-principles computational tensile test on NiAl intermetallics with O impurity along the [001] crystalline direction on the (110) plane to investigate the tensile strength and the bonding characteristics of the NiAl-O system. We show that the ideal tensile strength is largely reduced due to the presence of O impurity in comparison with pure NiAl. The investigations of the atomic configuration and bond-length evolution show that O prefers to bond with Al, forming an O-Al cluster finally with the break of O-Ni bonds. The O-Ni bonds are demonstrated to be weaker than the O-Al bonds, and the reduced tensile strength originates from such weaker O-Ni bonds. A void-like structure forms after the break of the O-Ni and some Ni-Al bonds. Such a void-like structure can act as the initial nucleation or the propagation path of the crack, and thus produce large effects on the mechanical properties of NiAl.

APFIM investigations on site occupancies of the ternary alloying elements Cr, Fe, and Re in NiAl

The site occupancies of the transition metals Cr, Fe, and Re dissolved in NiAl of stoichiometric composition have been determined by atomic layer resolved atom probe field-ion microscopy (APFIM). The investigations were supported by X-ray diffraction studies to evaluate the lattice parameters. These are influenced by atomic size effects and constitutional lattice defects like Ni antistructure atoms in the Al sublattice and vacancies in the Ni sublattice. The APFIM results were compared with ALCHEMI data and calculated site preference energies published in the literature. Chromium additions to stoichiometric NiAl with 0.8 at% in solid solution exhibit a strong preference for Al sites. The lattice parameter of NiAl(Cr) solid solution is decreased. Iron atoms dissolved in higher concentrations of 5 at % in NiAl are almost equally distributed within both sublattices. They are possessing a weak preference for Al sites, which causes a lattice expansion of NiAl(Fe) solid solution. ALCHEMI results and site preference energy data show a strong site preference of Cr atoms for the Al sublattice. In contrast, iron atoms exhibit a weak site preference for Ni sites depending upon the stoichiometry of the NiAl host lattice. Re solutes in low concentrations of about 0.2 at % in NiAl possess a strong site preference for the Ni sublattice. The increase of the lattice parameter of NiAl(Re) is due to the pronounced size effect of Re atoms. For these species no ALCHEMI and site preference energy data are available in the literature.

A family of ductile intermetallic compounds

Stoichiometric intermetallic compounds have always been touted for their attractive chemical, physical, electrical, magnetic and mechanical properties, but few practical uses have materialized because they are brittle at room temperature. Here we report on a large family of fully ordered, stoichiometric binary rare-earth intermetallic compounds with high ductility at room temperature. Although conventional wisdom calls for special conditions, such as non-stoichiometry, metastable disorder or doping to achieve some ductility in intermetallic compounds at room temperature, none of these is required in these unique B2 rare-earth compounds. Ab initio calculations of YAg, YCu and NiAl crystal defect energies support the observed deformation modes of these intermetallics.

Topology of electronic charge density and energetics of planar faults in fcc metals

Using ab initio calculations we have studied the energetics and the evolution of the electronic charge density with shear in three fcc metals exhibiting different deformation properties, aluminum, silver, and iridium. The charge redistribution described by the change in character of specific charge density critical points (cps), is ascertained from the values of the charge density, rho(0), and its three principal curvatures, rho( parallel parallel), rho(hh), and rho(vv), respectively. The change in character of cps correlates with the energetics. For all three metals, rho(hh) vanishes near the unstable stacking configuration. The symmetry or asymmetry of the charge redistribution, measured by rho(hh)/rho(vv), may be an important factor determining stacking fault energies.