Dataset Information

Observation of ?-Al₄₁Sm₅ reveals motif-aware structural evolution in Al-Sm alloys.

ABSTRACT: Using an effective genetic algorithm, we uncover the structure of a metastable Al₄₁Sm₅ phase that supplements its family sharing similar short-range orders. The phase evolves upon heating an amorphous Al-9.7?at.% Sm ribbon, produced by melt-spinning. The dynamical phase selection is discussed with respect to the structural connections between the short-range packing motifs in the amorphous precursor and those observed in the selected phases. The phase elucidated here is one of several newly discovered large-unit-cell phases found to form during devitrification from the glass in this binary system, further illustrating the power and efficiency of our approach, the important role of structural hierarchy in phase selection, and the richness of the metastable phase landscape accessible from the glassy structure.

SUBMITTER: Ye Z

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6491476 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Observation of η-Al41Sm5 reveals motif-aware structural evolution in Al-Sm alloys.

Ye Z Z Meng F F Zhang F F Sun Y Y Yang L L Zhou S H SH Napolitano R E RE Mendelev M I MI Ott R T RT Kramer M J MJ Wang C Z CZ Ho K M KM

Scientific reports 20190430 1

Using an effective genetic algorithm, we uncover the structure of a metastable Al41Sm5 phase that supplements its family sharing similar short-range orders. The phase evolves upon heating an amorphous Al-9.7 at.% Sm ribbon, produced by melt-spinning. The dynamical phase selection is discussed with respect to the structural connections between the short-range packing motifs in the amorphous precursor and those observed in the selected phases. The phase elucidated here is one ...[more]

PMID: 31040308

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Project description:The spontaneous crystal surface reconstruction of M-plane α-Al2O3 is employed for nanopatterning and nanofabrication in various fields of research including, among others, magnetism, superconductivity, and optoelectronics. In this reconstruction process the crystalline surface transforms from a planar morphology to one with a nanoscale ripple patterning. However, the high sample temperature required to induce surface reconstruction made in situ studies of the process seem unfeasible. The kinetics of ripple pattern formation therefore remained uncertain, and thus production of templates for nanofabrication could not advance beyond a trial-and-error stage. We present an approach combining in situ real-time grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering experiments (GISAXS) with model-based analysis and with ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) to observe this morphological transition in great detail. Our approach provides time-resolved information about all relevant morphological parameters required to trace the surface topography on the nanometer scale during reconstruction, i.e., the time dependence of the pattern wavelength, the ripple length, width, and height, and thus their facet angles. It offers a comprehensive picture of this process exemplified by a M-plane α-Al2O3 surface annealed at 1325 °C for 930 min. Fitting the model parameters to the experimental GISAXS data revealed a Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov type of behavior for the pattern wavelength and a predominantly linear time dependence of the other parameters. In this case the reconstruction resulted in a crystalline surface fully patterned with asymmetric ripple-shaped nanostructures of 75 nm periodicity, 15 nm in height, and 630 nm in length. By elucidating the time dependence of these morphological parameters, this study shows a powerful way to significantly advance the predictability of annealing outcome and thus to efficiently customize nanopatterned α-Al2O3 templates for improved nanofabrication routines.

Dataset Information

Observation of ?-Al₄₁Sm₅ reveals motif-aware structural evolution in Al-Sm alloys.

Publications

Observation of η-Al<sub>41</sub>Sm<sub>5</sub> reveals motif-aware structural evolution in Al-Sm alloys.

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Dataset Information

Observation of ?-Al41Sm5 reveals motif-aware structural evolution in Al-Sm alloys.

Publications

Observation of η-Al<sub>41</sub>Sm<sub>5</sub> reveals motif-aware structural evolution in Al-Sm alloys.

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OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

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Observation of ?-Al₄₁Sm₅ reveals motif-aware structural evolution in Al-Sm alloys.