Elastic modeling of point-defects and their interaction

TL;DR

This paper reviews elastic models of point-defects, focusing on the elastic dipole approximation, and demonstrates how it can be used to predict defect interactions and behavior in elastic fields.

Contribution

It clarifies the elastic dipole approximation's equivalence to other models and discusses parameterization and applications in defect evolution under elastic fields.

Findings

Elastic dipole fully characterizes point-defects in elastic fields.

The model can predict defect interactions and evolution.

Parameterization from experiments or simulations is feasible.

Abstract

Different descriptions used to model a point-defect in an elastic continuum are reviewed. The emphasis is put on the elastic dipole approximation, which is shown to be equivalent to the infinitesimal Eshelby inclusion and to the infinitesimal dislocation loop. Knowing this elastic dipole, a second rank tensor fully characterizing the point-defect, one can directly obtain the long-range elastic field induced by the point-defect and its interaction with other elastic fields. The polarizability of the point-defect, resulting from the elastic dipole dependence with the applied strain, is also introduced. Parameterization of such an elastic model, either from experiments or from atomic simulations, is discussed. Different examples, like elastodiffusion and bias calculations, are finally considered to illustrate the usefulness of such an elastic model to describe the evolution of a point-defect in a external elastic field.