Related papers: Amorphous intergranular films as toughening struct…
A discrete-to-continuum analysis for free-boundary problems related to crystalline films deposited on substrates is performed by $\Gamma$-convergence. The discrete model here introduced is characterized by an energy with two contributions,…
Nanoscale metallic multilayer (NMM) films are systems offering insight into the role of interfaces in metal plasticity, deformation, and strengthening mechanisms. Magnetron sputtering was used to fabricate the Ta-Cu NMM films with a…
To investigate the barrier effect of grain boundaries on the propagation of avalanche-like plasticity at the atomic-scale, we perform three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations by using simplified polycrystal models including…
The interplay between dilatancy and particle alignment in sheared granular materials composed of non-spherical particles leads to morphological inhomogeneity. Dilatancy, driven by interparticle friction, causes the packing to expand, while…
We report a combined experimental and simulation study of deformation-induced diffusion in compacted two-dimensional amorphous granular pillars, in which thermal fluctuations play negligible role. The pillars, consisting of bidisperse…
Polygonal desiccation crack patterns are commonly observed in natural systems. Despite their quotidian nature, it is unclear whether similar crack patterns which span orders of magnitude in length scales share the same underlying physics.…
Roughness and orientational order in thin films of anisotropic particles are investigated using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations on a cubic lattice. Anisotropic next-neighbor interactions between the lattice particles were chosen to mimic…
During development, organisms acquire three-dimensional shapes with important physiological consequences. While the basic mechanisms underlying morphogenesis are known in eukaryotes, it is often difficult to manipulate them in vivo. To…
Atomic-scale smooth thin films are keys to successful integration and proper function of many multilayer-structured devices. However, the intrinsic island-like growth mode prevents human being from realizing such ultrasmooth films of many…
Amorphous carbon (a-C) materials have diverse interesting and useful properties, but the understanding of their atomic-scale structures is still incomplete. Here, we report on extensive atomistic simulations of the deposition and growth of…
Progress in the emerging fields of atomic and close-to-atomic scale manufacturing is underpinned by enhanced precision and optimization of laser-controlled nanostructuring. Understanding thin films' crystallographic orientations and…
The dynamics of dislocation assemblies in deforming crystals indicate the emergence of collective phenomena, intermittent fluctuations and strain avalanches. In polycrystalline materials, the understanding of plastic deformation mechanisms…
Atomically thin films, like transition metal dichalcogenides, can now be synthesized at wafer scale, achieving the same extreme aspect ratio (~10^8) that a sheet of paper would have if it covered an entire city. Yet, the intrinsic (i.e.…
Amorphous grain-boundary (GB) complexions in thermally stable nanocrystalline alloys are commonly assumed to be structurally homogeneous, yet their disordered nature makes them susceptible to local short-range ordering (SRO). The influence…
Nanocrystalline metals, i.e. metals in which the grain size is in the nanometer range, have a range of technologically interesting properties including increased hardness and yield strength. We present atomic-scale simulations of the…
Nanocrystalline metals, i.e. metals with grain sizes from 5 to 50 nm, display technologically interesting properties, such as dramatically increased hardness, increasing with decreasing grain size. Due to the small grain size, direct…
Crumpling of a thin film leads to a unique stiff yet lightweight structure. The stiffness has been attributed to a complex interplay between four basic elements - smooth bends, sharp folds, localized points (developable cones), and…
Copper and aluminium sub-micron films are structured as columnar arrays of grains traversing the entire film, and hence are virtual two-dimensional polycrystalline solids. A closed-form solution for the two-dimensional plastic flow is…
We investigate the role of architected thin films in the interfacial failure properties of bi-layer composites. Our results show that, while graded structures can be used to prescribe failure at the interface, they do not offer significant…
We study the interfacial structure, stability, and elastic properties of composite carbon films containing nanotubes. Our Monte Carlo simulations show that Van der Waals forces play a vital role in shaping up the interfacial geometry,…