Complexions-Dominated Plastic Transmission and Mechanical Response in Cu-Based Nanolayered Composites

Thermodynamically stable and ultra-thin “phase” at the interface, known as complexions, can significantly improve the mechanical properties of nanolayered composites. However, the effect of complexions features (e.g., crystalline orientation, crystalline structure and amorphous composition) on the plastic deformation remains inadequately investigated, and the correlation with the plastic transmission and mechanical response has not been fully established. Here, using atomistic simulations, we elucidate the different complexions-dominated plastic transmission and mechanical response. Complexions can alter the preferred slip system of dislocation nucleation, depending on the Schmid factor and interface structure. After nucleation, the dislocation density exhibits an inverse correlation with the stress magnitude, because the number of dislocations influences the initiation of plastic deformation and determines the stress release. For crystalline complexions with different structures and orientations, the ability of dislocation transmission is mainly dependent on the continuity of the slip system. The plastic transmission can easily proceed and exhibits relatively low flow stress when the slip system is well-aligned. In the case of amorphous complexions with different compositions, compositional variations impact the atomic percentage of shear transformation zones after loading, resulting in different magnitudes of plastic deformation. When smaller plastic deformation is produced, less stress can be released contributing to higher flow stress. These findings reveal the role of the complexions on plasticity behavior and provide valuable insights for the design of nanolayered composites.