title: Asymmetric interaction of point defects and heterophase interfaces in ZrN/TaN multilayered nanofilms.
abstract: Materials with a high density of heterophase interfaces, which are capable of absorbing and annihilating radiation-induced point defects, can exhibit a superior radiation tolerance. In this paper, we investigated the interaction behaviors of point defects and heterophase interfaces by implanting helium atoms into the ZrN/TaN multilayered nanofilms. It was found that the point defect-interface interaction on the two sides of the ZrN/TaN interface was asymmetric, likely due to the difference in the vacancy formation energies of ZrN and TaN. The helium bubbles could migrate from the ZrN layers into the TaN layers through the heterophase interfaces, resulting in a better crystallinity of the ZrN layers and a complete amorphization of the TaN layers. The findings provided some clues to the fundamental behaviors of point defects near the heterophase interfaces, which make us re-examine the design rules of advanced radiation-tolerant materials.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Radiation Physics and Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuanxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shuanglin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Radiation Physics and Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yunlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093 P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Radiation Physics and Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Division of Surface Engineering of Materials, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Haibing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Radiation Physics and Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang