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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Probing the atomic dynamics of ultrafast melting with femtosecond electron diffraction

Melting is an every-day phase transition that is determined by thermodynamic parameters like temperature and pressure. In contrast, ultra-fast melting is governed by the microscopic response to a rapid energy input and, thus, can reveal the strength and dynamics of atomic bonds as well as the energy flow rate to the lattice. Accurately describing these processes remains challenging and requires detailed insights into transient states encountered. Here, we present data from femtosecond electron diffraction measurements that capture the structural evolution of copper during the ultrafast solid-to-liquid phase transformations. At absorbed energy densities 2-4 times the melting threshold, melting begins at the surface slightly below the nominal melting point followed by rapid homogeneous melting throughout the volume. Molecular dynamics simulations reproduce these observations and reveal a weak electron-lattice energy transfer rate for the given experimental conditions. Both simulations and experiments show no indications of rapid lattice collapse when its temperature surpasses proposed limits of superheating, providing evidence that the inherent dynamics limits the speed of disordering in ultrafast melting of metals.

FOS: Physical sciences↗
NASA NTRS2015

Subharmonic Oscillations and Chaos in Dynamic Atomic Force Microscopy

The increasing use of dynamic atomic force microscopy (d-AFM) for nanoscale materials characterization calls for a deeper understanding of the cantilever dynamics influencing scan stability, predictability, and image quality. Model development is critical to such understanding. Renormalization of the equations governing d- AFM provides a simple interpretation of cantilever dynamics as a single spring and mass system with frequency dependent cantilever stiffness and damping parameters. The renormalized model is sufficiently robust to predict the experimentally observed splitting of the free-space cantilever resonance into multiple resonances upon cantilever-sample contact. Central to the model is the representation of the cantilever sample interaction force as a polynomial expansion with coefficients F(sub ij) (i,j = 0, 1, 2) that account for the effective interaction stiffness parameter, the cantilever-to-sample energy transfer, and the amplitude of cantilever oscillation. Application of the Melnikov method to the model equation is shown to predict a homoclinic bifurcation of the Smale horseshoe type leading to a cascade of period doublings with increasing drive displacement amplitude culminating in chaos and loss of image quality. The threshold value of the drive displacement amplitude necessary to initiate subharmonic generation depends on the acoustic drive frequency, the effective damping coefficient, and the nonlinearity of the cantilever-sample interaction force. For parameter values leading to displacement amplitudes below threshold for homoclinic bifurcation other bifurcation scenarios can occur, some of which lead to chaos.

Cantrell, John H.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Atomic dynamics of electrified solid–liquid interfaces in liquid-cell TEM

Electrified solid–liquid interfaces (ESLIs) play a key role in various electrochemical processes relevant to energy, biology and geochemistry. The electron and mass transport at the electrified interfaces may result in structural modifications that markedly influence the reaction pathways. For example, electrocatalyst surface restructuring during reactions can substantially affect the catalysis mechanisms and reaction products. Despite its importance, direct probing the atomic dynamics of solid–liquid interfaces under electric biasing is challenging owing to the nature of being buried in liquid electrolytes and the limited spatial resolution of current techniques for in situ imaging through liquids. Here, with our development of advanced polymer electrochemical liquid cells for transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we are able to directly monitor the atomic dynamics of ESLIs during copper (Cu)-catalysed CO 2 electroreduction reactions (CO 2 ERs). Our observation reveals a fluctuating liquid-like amorphous interphase. It undergoes reversible crystalline–amorphous structural transformations and flows along the electrified Cu surface, thus mediating the crystalline Cu surface restructuring and mass loss through the interphase layer. Furthermore, the combination of real-time observation and theoretical calculations unveils an amorphization-mediated restructuring mechanism resulting from charge-activated surface reactions with the electrolyte. Our results open many opportunities to explore the atomic dynamics and its impact in broad systems involving ESLIs by taking advantage of the in situ imaging capability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Real-space atomic dynamics in liquid gallium studied by inelastic neutron scattering

Gallium is a prototypical liquid metal and has gained renewed attention because of its unique properties. Characterizing and elucidating its atomic dynamics remains elusive despite numerous studies, primarily because of the challenges in quantifying atomic-scale dynamics in liquids. Recent developments in inelastic neutron scattering enable us to measure the Van Hove correlation function that describes the real-space motion of liquid atoms. Here, in this work, we use this approach to reveal the dynamics in gallium liquids and find the co-existence of two dynamical medium-range orders (MROs), which have a dynamical behavior distinct from that of the short-range order (SRO). We propose that these MROs are driven by global forces in the form of two density waves, as a direct consequence of the underlying competition between ionic core repulsion and valence electron cohesion. We suggest that the density wave approach is not only applicable to other metallic liquids exhibiting similar structural anomalies, but also offers a promising direction for elucidating the dynamics of complex liquids and glasses by linking electronic-state fluctuations to atomic dynamics.

Hua, Chengyun [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL↗
DOE OSTI2026

Visualizing Millisecond Atomic Dynamics of Nanocrystals in Liquid

Atomic structures of nanomaterials are inherently dynamic and continuously reshaped through interactions with chemical species and external stimuli. Such dynamics are further amplified as the size and dimensionality of nanomaterials decrease. Despite advances in analytical methods, it remains challenging to capture the structural dynamics of nanomaterials in reactive environments with both atomic spatial resolution and commensurate temporal resolution. Here, in this study, we directly visualize atomic-scale dynamics of gold (Au) nanocrystals in reactive liquid environments with millisecond-speed liquid-cell electron microscopy (EM) and deep-learning denoising. We uncover reversible fluctuations in the local crystallinity of Au nanocrystals dependent on the surrounding chemical environment. These transient fluctuations, driven by interactions at nanocrystal–liquid interfaces, critically influence the dissolution kinetics and grain boundary relaxation. By overcoming the spatiotemporal limitations in conventional liquid-cell EM, our findings provide insights into how transient nanoscale structures dictate the stability and reactivity of nanomaterials.

Kang, Sungsu [University of Chicago, IL (United St↗
DOE OSTI2023

Sluggish atomic dynamics in a Y-Sc-Co-Al high entropy bulk metallic glass

We present how 20 at% Sc addition affects the atomic packing and dynamics in a Y-Co-Al metallic glass (MG) and find that it greatly suppresses the dynamics of Co atoms by reducing the atomic packing difference in their surroundings. The Co atoms tending to be mobile or static depend on their nearest neighbors, i.e., possessing more Y/Y+Sc atoms but fewer Co atoms or vice versa. The X-ray absorption fine structure results confirm that Sc addition mainly changes the local environment around Co atoms, forming more Co-Co and Co-Sc pairs but significantly fewer Co-Y pairs than in the ternary counterpart, which can seriously slow the atomic dynamics and stabilize the competing phases. Our findings shed new light on the understanding of strong glass forming ability of the Sc-added Y-based high entropy MG from its local structure and dynamics and will be helpful in developing new bulk MGs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Probing atom dynamics of excited Co-Mo-S nanocrystals in 3D

Advances in electron microscopy have enabled visualizations of the three-dimensional (3D) atom arrangements in nano-scale objects. The observations are, however, prone to electron-beam-induced object alterations, so tracking of single atoms in space and time becomes key to unravel inherent structures and properties. Here, we introduce an analytical approach to quantitatively account for atom dynamics in 3D atomic-resolution imaging. The approach is showcased for a Co-Mo-S nanocrystal by analysis of time-resolved in-line holograms achieving ~1.5 Å resolution in 3D. The analysis reveals a decay of phase image contrast towards the nanocrystal edges and meta-stable edge motifs with crystallographic dependence. These findings are explained by beam-stimulated vibrations that exceed Debye-Waller factors and cause chemical transformations at catalytically relevant edges. This ability to simultaneously probe atom vibrations and displacements enables a recovery of the pristine Co-Mo-S structure and establishes, in turn, a foundation to understand heterogeneous chemical functionality of nanostructures, surfaces and molecules.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Atomic dynamics in 𝑀⁢Cr⁢𝑋 2 (𝑀=Ag, Cu; 𝑋 = S, Se) across magnetic and superionic transitions

Here, a systematic study of atomic dynamics and thermal properties of the family of layered chalcogenide compounds 𝑀⁢Cr⁢𝑋 2 (𝑀= Ag, Cu; 𝑋 = S, Se) was performed, including neutron and x-ray scattering, thermal characterization, and first-principles simulations. In all compounds, we observe a breakdown of specific phonon modes across the superionic phase transition, for phonons whose eigenvectors exhibit large contributions of mobile ions. In particular, the nondispersive portions of transverse acoustic (TA) branches at short-wavelengths and the low-energy optical phonons with large contributions from Ag + or Cu + become severely damped in the superionic phase. However, well-defined quasiparticles persist in the superionic state for long-wavelength TA phonons. In the case of AgCrS 2 , the coupling of lattice dynamics with its antiferromagnetic transition was also investigated. The magnetic ordering couples with the monoclinic–rhombohedral structural transition, and the Cr 3+ spin arrangement strongly affects the phonon dispersions. We qualitatively reproduce the magnetic and nuclear components of the INS measurement for antiferromagnetic AgCrS 2 by combining models of spin-waves and spin-polarized first-principles phonon simulations. Quasielastic magnetic fluctuations persist in the paramagnetic phase up to high temperature, but are clearly distinguished from the nuclear component through their momentum dependence. Finally, we report measurements of the thermal properties of the selenide compounds and find good agreement with our DFT simulations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Real-space atomic dynamics in metallic liquids investigated by inelastic neutron scattering

Understanding the dynamics of liquids at the atomic level remains a major challenge. Even though viscosity is one of the most fundamental properties of liquids, its atomistic origin is not fully elucidated. Through inelastic neutron scattering experiment on levitated metallic liquid droplets, the time-dependent pair correlation function, the Van Hove function, was determined for Z⁢r 50 ⁢C⁢u 50 and Z⁢r 80 ⁢P⁢t 20 liquids at various temperatures. The time for change in local atomic connectivity, τ LC , which is the timescale of atomic bond cutting and forming, is estimated based on the exponential decay of the nearest neighbor peak of the Van Hove function. At high temperatures above the crossover temperature T A , τ LC is equal to the Maxwell relaxation time, τ M =η/G ∞ , where η is the macroscopic shear viscosity and G ∞ is the high-frequency shear modulus. Below T A the ratio of τ M /τ LC increases with decreasing temperature, indicating increased atomic cooperativity as predicted by molecular dynamics simulation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Atomic dynamics in fluids: Normal mode analysis revisited

Developing microscopic understanding of the thermal properties of liquids is challenging due to their strong dynamic disorder, which prevents characterization of the atomic degrees of freedom. There have been significant research interests in the past few decades to extend the normal mode analysis for solids to instantaneous structures of liquids. However, the nature of normal modes that arise from these unstable structures is still elusive. Here, in this paper, we explore the instantaneous eigenmodes of dynamical matrices of various Lennard-Jones argon liquid and gas systems at high temperatures and show that the normal modes can be interpreted as an interpolation of T →∞ (gas) and T=0 (solid) mode descriptions. We find that normal modes become increasingly collisional and translational, recovering atomistic gaslike behavior rather than vibrational with increase in temperature, suggesting that normal modes in liquids may be described by both solidlike and gaslike modes.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Atomic dynamics of metallic glass melts La 50 Ni 15 Al 35 and Ce 70 Cu 19 Al 11 studied by quasielastic neutron scattering

By employing quasielastic neutron scattering, we studied the atomic-scale relaxation dynamics and transport mechanism of La 50 Ni 15 Al 35 and Ce 70 Cu 19 Al 11 metallic glass melts in the temperature range of > 200K above their liquidus temperatures. The results show that both liquids exhibit stretched exponential relaxation and Arrhenius-type temperature dependence of the effective diffusion coefficient. The La 50 Ni 15 Al 35 melt exhibits an activation energy of 0.545 ± 0.008 eV and a stretching exponent ~0.77 to 0.86 in the studied temperature range; no change of activation energy, as suggested in previous reports, associated with liquid-liquid phase transition was observed. In contrast, the Ce 70 Cu 19 Al 11 melt exhibits larger diffusivity with a much smaller activation energy of 0.201±0.003eV and a smaller stretching exponent ~0.51 to 0.60, suggestive of more heterogeneous dynamics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Atomic Dynamics of Multi‐Interfacial Migration and Transformations

Redox-induced interconversions of metal oxidation states typically result in multiple phase boundaries that separate chemically and structurally distinct oxides and suboxides. Directly probing such multi-interfacial reactions is challenging because of the difficulty in simultaneously resolving the multiple reaction fronts at the atomic scale. Using the example of CuO reduction in H 2 gas, a reaction pathway of CuO → monoclinic m-Cu 4 O 3 → Cu 2 O is demonstrated and identifies interfacial reaction fronts at the atomic scale, where the Cu 2 O/m-Cu 4 O 3 interface shows a diffuse-type interfacial transformation; while the lateral flow of interfacial ledges appears to control the m-Cu 4 O 3 /CuO transformation. Together with atomistic modeling, it is shown that such a multi-interface transformation results from the surface-reaction-induced formation of oxygen vacancies that diffuse into deeper atomic layers, thereby resulting in the formation of the lower oxides of Cu 2 O and m-Cu 4 O 3 , and activate the interfacial transformations. In conclusion, these results demonstrate the lively dynamics at the reaction fronts of the multiple interfaces and have substantial implications for controlling the microstructure and interphase boundaries by coupling the interplay between the surface reaction dynamics and the resulting mass transport and phase evolution in the subsurface and bulk.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Atomic dynamics of gas-dependent oxide reducibility

Understanding oxide reduction is critical for advancing metal production, catalysis and energy technologies. Although carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H 2 ) are widely used reductants, the mechanisms by which they work are often presumed to be similar, both involving lattice oxygen removal. However, because of growing interest in replacing CO with H 2 to lower CO 2 emissions, distinguishing gas-specific reduction pathways is critical. Yet, capturing these atomic-scale processes under reactive gas and high-temperature conditions remains challenging. Here we use environmental transmission electron microscopy, which is capable of real-time, atomic-resolution imaging of gas–solid redox reactions to directly visualize the gas-dependent oxide reduction dynamics in NiO. We show that CO drives surface nucleation and the growth of metallic Ni islands, leading to self-limiting surface metallization. Conversely, H 2 activates a coupled surface-to-bulk transformation, where protons from dissociated H 2 infiltrate the oxide lattice to promote the inward migration of surface-generated oxygen vacancies and enabling bulk metallization. By contrast, oxygen vacancies formed by CO remain confined near the surface, where they rapidly form a metallic Ni layer that inhibits further reduction. Furthermore, these results reveal distinct atomistic pathways for CO and H 2 and provide insights that may guide metallurgical processes and catalyst design.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Electronic structure and dynamics of confined atoms

Confined atomic systems are of great importance owing a multitude of possible applications in various areas of science and technology. Of particular interest are atoms encaged in the C 60 molecule, A@C 60 , since the near-spherical symmetry of C 60 simplifies theoretical studies, and the stability of C 60 renders it amenable to experimental examination. Herein a review of investigations of the electronic structure and dynamics of A@C 60 is presented in this manuscript focusing on developments in the last decade. Addressed mainly are how the confinement affects electronic structure properties such as ionization potentials, localization of atomic electrons, Shannon entropy, correlation effects, relativistic interactions, and others. In the area of dynamics, photoionization and e-A@C 60 scattering are reviewed and summarized, and the major effects of confinement on the dynamical properties, e.g., confinement resonances, hybridization, Wigner time delay, are delineated.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dynamics of plasma atomic layer etching: Molecular dynamics simulations and optical emission spectroscopy

Atomic layer etching is intrinsically dynamic as it involves sequential and repeated exposures of a surface to be etched with different species at different energies. The composition and structure of the near surface region change in both time and depth. Full understanding of this process requires resolving both temporal and spatial variations. In this work, we consider silicon (Si) atomic layer etching (ALE) by alternating exposure to chlorine gas (Cl 2 ) and argon ions (Ar + ). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are compared to experimental measurements with the aim of better understanding the dynamics of ALE and to test the simulation procedure. The simulations help to more fully interpret the experimental measurements. Further, optical emission measured just above the surface being etched can be related to etch products and can, therefore, be directly compared to simulation predictions. The simulations capture the measured initial product distribution leaving the surface and match the measured etch per cycle reasonably well. While simulations demonstrate the importance of ion-induced surface damage and mixing into a layer below the surface, the depth of which depends mainly on ion energy, the experiments suggest there is more Cl mixed into the layer than the MD procedure predicts.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Atomic Diffusion, Segregation, and Grain Boundary Migration in Nickel-Based Alloys from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Grain boundary diffusion and metal mobility in alloys control material performance in many applications and yet remain poorly understood at a mechanistic level. With advances in accessible time and length scales for computational molecular simulations, and recent force field developments, we now possess tools to help unravel those mechanisms. Using large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, here we examined vacancy-mediated diffusion processes in Ni-5Cr alloy with low and high-energy grain boundaries. We show that atomic diffusion inside the grain boundary plane is about four times higher than bulk diffusion, at any temperature, and exhibits a typical Arrhenius behavior with a very small energy barrier (0~.8 eV for Cr and 0.7 eV for Ni within 1300-1600 K). Additionally, the fastest diffusing species inverts; Cr diffusion was faster than Ni in the bulk but slower in the grain boundaries. This is attributed to the creation of high cohesive energy clusters of Cr at the grain boundary. Grain boundary migration was also observed to be temperature dependent and appears to be two times higher in the 5% Cr alloy than in pure Ni, highlighting the important role of the alloying element on grain boundary motion.

Simonnin, Pauline GN↗