Quantum-Atomic-Continuum-Coupled Model for Mechanical Behaviors in Micro-nano Simulations

TL;DR

This paper introduces a quantum-atomic-continuum coupled model that integrates quantum effects into micro-nano mechanical simulations without needing a transition region, enabling detailed analysis of deformation and damage in nanomaterials.

Contribution

The model combines quantum density functional calculations with continuum mechanics, providing a novel approach for simulating micro-nano material behaviors without traditional transition regions.

Findings

Successfully simulated deformation and stress in copper nanowires.

Predicted dislocation distributions during damage processes.

Validated the model's accuracy and transferability.

Abstract

For the numerical simulations of physical and mechanical behaviors of materials at the micro-nano scale, a coupled model with the effect of local quantum is presented in this paper. Unlike traditional methods, the transition region is not needed since the non-local mechanical effects and the constitutive relations are naturally involved by first principle density functional calculations. In order to identify and calculate the mechanical quantities at different scales, some necessary assumptions are made when solving Kohn-Sham equations. Basic deformation elements are introduced and mechanical tensors are explicitly derived based on the complex Bravais lattice. The responses of 3-demensional copper nanowires which composed of 25313 atoms under different external loads are simulated. Strain and stress fields are calculated and dislocation distributions are predicted during the damage process. Numerical results confirm the validity and transferability of this model.