Discovery of a metastable Al_(20)Sm_4 phase

摘要

We present an efficient genetic algorithm, integrated with experimental diffraction data, to solve a nanoscale metastable Al_(20)Sm_4 phase that evolves during crystallization of an amorphous magnetron sputtered Al_(90)Sm_(10) alloy. The excellent match between calculated and experimental X-ray diffraction patterns confirms an accurate description of this metastable phase. Molecular dynamic simulations of crystal growth from the liquid phase predict the formation of disordered defects in the devitrified crystal.