Revealing local order via high energy EELS. (March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hart, J.L.; Lang, A.C.; Li, Y.; Shahrezaei, S.; Alix-Williams, D.D.; Falk, M.L.; Mathaudhu, S.N.; Frenkel, A.I.; Taheri, M.L.
• Is Part Of: Materials today nano. Volume 21(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Subjects: Short range order -- Electron energy loss spectroscopy -- Extended fine structure analysis -- Bulk metallic glasses -- Transmission electron microscopy; Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology; Nanoscience; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Periodicals; Periodical; Electronic journals; Electronic journals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtnano.2022.100298
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2588-8420

Abstract

Abstract: Short range order (SRO) is critical in determining the performance of many important engineering materials. However, accurate characterization of SRO with high spatial resolution – which is needed for the study of individual nanoparticles and at material defects and interfaces – is often experimentally inaccessible. Here, we locally quantify SRO via scanning transmission electron microscopy with extended energy loss fine structure analysis. Specifically, we use novel instrumentation to perform electron energy loss spectroscopy out to 12 keV, accessing energies which are conventionally only possible using a synchrotron. Our data is of sufficient energy resolution and signal-to-noise ratio to perform quantitative extended fine structure analysis, which allows determination of local coordination environments. To showcase this technique, we investigate a multicomponent metallic glass nanolaminate and locally quantify the SRO with <10 nm spatial resolution; this measurement would have been impossible with conventional synchrotron or electron microscopy methods. We discuss the nature of SRO within the metallic glass phase, as well as the wider applicability of our approach for determining processing–SRO–property relationships in complex materials. Graphical abstract: Image 1