title: Competition between order and phase separation in Au-Ni.
abstract: We have measured and theoretically analyzed the diffuse scattering in the binary alloy system Au-Ni, which has been proposed as a testing ground for theories of alloy phase stability. We found strong evidence that in the alloys Au3Ni and Au3Ni2, fluctuations of both ordering- and clustering-type are competing with each other. Our results resolve a long-standing controversy on the balance of relaxation and mixing energies in this alloy system and explain recent findings of ordering in thin Au-Ni films.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 3, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reichert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schöps
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Ramsteiner
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Bugaev
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shchyglo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Udyansky
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dosch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asta
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drautz
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Honkimäki