Crystal forming ability of amorphous refractory metals under nanoindentation: a molecular dynamics study
The study investigated how mechanical loading drives amorphous refractory metals (V, Nb, Mo, Ta, W) to crystallize into a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure under nanoindentation at 300 K. It found that the crystal forming ability (CFA) varies significantly across the series and is related to shear strain rather than just hydrostatic pressure. The research establishes testable links between early bcc-like order, mechanical transformation pathways, and grain population evolution for this group of materials.