Letter abstract


Nature Nanotechnology 4, 415 - 419 (2009)
Published online: 7 June 2009 | doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.142

Subject Categories: Nanomaterials | NEMS | Structural properties

Nanoscale shape-memory alloys for ultrahigh mechanical damping

Jose San Juan1,2, Maria L. Nó3 & Christopher A. Schuh1


Shape memory alloys undergo reversible transformations between two distinct phases in response to changes in temperature or applied stress1.  The creation and motion of the internal interfaces between these phases during such transformations dissipates energy, making these alloys effective mechanical damping materials2, 3. Although it has been shown that reversible phase transformations can occur in nanoscale volumes4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, it is not known whether these transformations have a sample size dependence. Here, we demonstrate that the two phases responsible for shape memory in Cu–Al–Ni alloys are more stable in nanoscale pillars than they are in the bulk. As a result, the pillars show a damping figure of merit that is substantially higher than any previously reported value for a bulk material, making them attractive for damping applications in nanoscale and microscale devices.

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  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, USA
  2. Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Universidad del País Vasco, Faculty of Science and Technology, Apdo 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
  3. Department of Applied Physics II, Universidad del País Vasco, Faculty of Science and Technology, Apdo 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain

Correspondence to: Jose San Juan1,2 e-mail: sanjuan@mit.edu



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