Structural transformation and localization during simulated nanoindentation of a non-crystalline metal film

TL;DR

This simulation study investigates how atomic configurations influence localization during nanoindentation of non-crystalline metal films, revealing that quench rate affects structural stability and localization behavior.

Contribution

It demonstrates the link between atomic configuration stability and localization phenomena, highlighting the impact of quench rate and energy input on structural transformation.

Findings

Higher quench rates lead to less localization and shorter band spacing.

Localization is associated with amorphization of quasi-crystal-like structures.

Samples with low quench rates show amorphization linked to localization.

Abstract

A simulation study demonstrates that localization can arise as the result of the breakdown of stable quasi-crystal-like atomic configurations. Samples produced at elevated quench rates and via more energetic processes contain a lower fraction of such configurations and exhibit significantly less pronounced localization and shorter spacing between bands. In the samples produced by the lowest quench rates localization is accompanied by the amorphization of material with initially quasi-crystal-like medium range order. This result is of particular significance in light of recent experimental evidence of local quasi-crystal order in the most stable of the bulk metallic glasses.