On the origin of diffuse intensities in fcc electron diffraction patterns

Francisco Gil Coury (), Cody Miller, Robert Field and Michael Kaufman ()
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Francisco Gil Coury: Universidade Federal de São Carlos
Cody Miller: SIGMA Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Robert Field: Colorado School of Mines
Michael Kaufman: Colorado School of Mines

Nature, 2023, vol. 622, issue 7984, 742-747

Abstract: Abstract Interpreting diffuse intensities in electron diffraction patterns can be challenging in samples with high atomic-level complexity, as often is the case with multi-principal element alloys. For example, diffuse intensities in electron diffraction patterns from simple face-centred cubic (fcc) and related alloys have been attributed to short-range order1, medium-range order2 or a variety of different {111} planar defects, including thin twins3, thin hexagonal close-packed layers4, relrod spiking5 and incomplete ABC stacking6. Here we demonstrate that many of these diffuse intensities, including $${}^{1}{ / }_{3}$$ 1 ⁄ 3 {422} and $${}^{1}{ / }_{2}$$ 1 ⁄ 2 {311} in ⟨111⟩ and ⟨112⟩ selected area diffraction patterns, respectively, are due to reflections from higher-order Laue zones. We show similar features along many different zone axes in a wide range of simple fcc materials, including CdTe, pure Ni and pure Al. Using electron diffraction theory, we explain these intensities and show that our calculated intensities of projected higher-order Laue zone reflections as a function of deviation from their Bragg conditions match well with the observed intensities, proving that these intensities are universal in these fcc materials. Finally, we provide a framework for determining the nature and location of diffuse intensities that could indicate the presence of short-range order or medium-range order.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06530-6

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