Surface dislocation nucleation: Strength is but skin deep at the nanoscale

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Atomic configuration of nucleation (blue atom group) in the surface layer of a square copper nanowire (yellow and green atoms) under uniaxial stress. Nucleation occurs at a partial dislocation in the surface layer. Colors refer to the breaking of loc ...
Atomic configuration of nucleation (blue atom group) in the surface layer of a square copper nanowire (yellow and green atoms) under uniaxial stress. Nucleation occurs at a partial dislocation in the surface layer. Colors refer to the breaking of local inversion symmetry. Credit: Physical Review Letters and Ju Li

For centuries, engineers have bent and torn metals to test their strength and ductility. Now, materials scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science are studying the same metals but at nanoscale sizes in the form of wires a thousand times thinner than a human hair.


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