In situ study of rotating lattice single‐crystal formation in Sb2S3 glass by Laue μXRD

• Published in: Journal of the American Ceramic Society 2020-07, Vol.103 (7), p.3954-3961
• Main Authors: Au‐Yeung, Courtney, Stan, Camelia, Tamura, Nobumichi, Jain, Himanshu, Dierolf, Volkmar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ambient temperature; chalcogenides; Crystal growth; Crystal lattices; Crystals; crystals/crystallization; Densification; Diffraction patterns; Ferroelectricity; Glass; Laser beam heating; MATERIALS SCIENCE; Nucleation; Rotation; Single crystals; Thermal expansion; X-ray methods
• ISSN: 0002-7820; 1551-2916
• DOI: 10.1111/jace.16905

Single‐crystal architectures in glass, formed by a solid‐solid transformation via laser heating, are novel solids with a rotating lattice. To understand the process of lattice formation that proceeds via crystal growth, we have observed in situ Sb2S3 crystal formation under X‐ray irradiation with simultaneous Laue micro X‐ray diffraction (μXRD) pattern collection. By translating the sample with respect to the beam, we form rotating lattice single (RLS) crystal lines with a consistently linear relationship between the rotation angle and distance from nucleation site. The lines begin with a seed crystal, followed by a transition region comprising of sub‐grain or very similarly oriented grains, followed by the presence of a rotating lattice single crystal of unrestricted length. The results demonstrate that the primary cause of lattice rotation within RLS crystals is the densification accompanying the glass → crystal transformation, rather than stresses produced from the difference in thermal expansion coefficient of the two phases or paraelectric → ferroelectric transition during cooling to ambient temperature.