LASER pulse simulations on bilayer thin films for optimal high entropy alloy formation
Dunbar, Mary ; Mandal, Soumya ; Paduri, Vikas
Citations
Abstract
High Entropy Alloys (HEAs) are a new class of material where particles are composed of five or more elements in approximately equimolar proportion. One of the ways to form these materials are by layering thin films of pure metallic elements and melting these nanofilms with a laser pulse. In a fraction of a second, laser pulse melts the element layers which coagulate into spherical nanoparticles of mixed composition, cool, and solidify into HEA nanoparticles. An optimal temperature must be achieved during laser irradiation; otherwise, the metals will not form nanoparticles or will be vaporized. The purpose of this research is to determine the optimal thickness and orientation of a bilayer Silver and Cobalt thin film system in order to form nanoparticles containing these two elements in equimolar proportion. This will act as the prototypical studies to expand on HEAs. Because laser irradiation is costly, both in time and material, COMSOL Multiphysics will be used to simulate the laser pulse-induced melting and solidification on Ag-Co thin films. Various combinations of layer thickness and orientation will be simulated under a laser pulse, and the maximum temperature of each film combination will be recorded. R will be used to analyze the data acquired in this study. Using the temperature data, the film combination for optimal nanoparticle creation of an Ag-Co bilayer system will be determined. The results of this research can be used to predict the ideal thickness and orientation of more complicated thin film systems, such as those with more or different elements.