Self-organized defect-phases along dislocations in irradiated alloys

TL;DR

This paper investigates how precipitates form and organize along dislocation lines in irradiated alloys, revealing self-organized nanostructures driven by defect dynamics and diffusion processes.

Contribution

It introduces a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation approach to understand the formation of defect-phases along dislocations in irradiated alloys, highlighting the role of competing diffusion mechanisms.

Findings

Self-organized nanostructures such as tubes and necklaces are stabilized.

Heavy-tail power-law distributions explain solute redistribution along dislocations.

Morphologies depend on the competition between advection and diffusion.

Abstract

Patterning of precipitates along dislocation lines arising from nonequilibrium segregation during ion irradiation is investigated in model binary alloys. Lattice kinetic Monte Carlo simulations reveal that the competition between solute advection by point defects to the dislocation and thermal diffusion along the dislocation can stabilize self-organized nanostructures with distinct morphologies, including tubes and quasi-periodic necklaces. The stabilization of nano-necklaces is rationalized by heavy-tail power-law distributions for solute redistribution along the dislocation due to advection.