Using analytical electron microscopy to study microstructural evolution and its effect on structural & functional properties

Analytical electron microscopy is applied to study elementary processes which govern micro- and nanostructural evolution and their effect on structural and functional properties in two-phase material systems. Modern computational alloy design for application relevant blade materials operating at high temperatures require reliable diffusion data, which consider the realistic superalloy condition. A new method will be presented to study diffusion kinetics in compositionally complex superalloys using intrinsic nano-diffusion-couples that are exposed to in situ and ex situ annealing experiments. Magnetic two-phase Heusler compounds are fascinating because they enable to study the influence of misfit induced strain gradients at interfaces on magnetic texture formation. Micro-engineering of misfit induced strains into a functional magnetic composite represents a novel approach which may well pave the way towards a new era of exploiting flexomagnetism, an area which has yet to be explored experimentally.