Atomistic Structure of Grain Boundaries determined by first-principles Calculations and Quantitative HRTEM


Atomistic Structure of Grain Boundaries determined by first-principles Calculations and Quantitative HRTEM

Gemming, T.; Nufer, S.; Gemming, S.; Kurtz, W.; Marinopoulos, A. G.; Fabris, S.; Elsässer, C.; Rühle, M.

A combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and local density-functional theory (LDFT) is employed to analyze the microscopic structure of the rhombohedral (-1012) and the prismatic Sigma-3 (10-10) twin interfaces in alpha-alumina. LDFT provides interface energies, atomic and electronic structures for competing structure models. With high-resolution TEM the atomic structure at the interface is imaged quantitatively along two orthogonal zone axes. Electron energy loss spectroscopy in TEM yields the interfacial electronic structure with nano-scale spatial resolution. All experiments confirm the theoretically preferred model for each of the two grain boundaries quantitatively.

Keywords: interface; grain boundary; density-functional theory; DFT; calculation; electronic structure; atomic structure

  • Contribution to proceedings
    DFTEM 2006 - bringing together two communities International Conference on Density Functional Theory and Transmission Electron Microscopy, 21.-23.04.2006, Wien, Austria, Wien: Editio Amici/Physicae et chimicae solidorum amici, 3-902548-00-2, 142-145
  • Poster
    DFTEM 2006 - bringing together two communitites International Conference on Density Functional Theory and Transmission Electron Microscopy, 21.-23.04.2006, Wien, Österreich

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Publ.-Id: 8468