Mapping strain fields induced in Zr-based bulk metallic glasses during in-situ nanoindentation by X-ray nanodiffraction

J. Gamcová; G. Mohanty; Michalik; J. Wehrs; J. Bednarčík; C. Krywka; J. M. Breguet; J. Michler; H. Franz

Applied Physics Letters 108 (2016) 31907-31907

A pioneer in-situ synchrotron X-ray nanodiffraction approach for characterization and visualization of strain fields induced by nanoindentation in amorphous materials is introduced. In-situ nanoindentation experiments were performed in transmission mode using a monochromatic and highly focused sub-micron X-ray beam on 40 μm thick Zr-based bulk metallic glass under two loading conditions. Spatially resolved X-ray diffraction scans in the deformed volume of Zr-based bulk metallic glass covering an area of 40 × 40 μm2 beneath the pyramidal indenter revealed two-dimensional map of elastic strains. The largest value of compressive elastic strain calculated from diffraction data at 1 N load was -0.65%. The region of high elastic compressive strains (<-0.3%) is located beneath the indenter tip and has radius of 7 μm. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4939981