Stress relaxation in a perfect nanocrystal by coherent ejection of lattice layers

We show that a small crystal trapped within a potential well and in contact with its own fluid responds to large compressive stresses by a novel mechanism--the transfer of complete lattice layers across the solid-fluid interface. Further, when the solid is impacted by a momentum impulse set up in the fluid, a coherently ejected lattice layer carries away a definite quantity of energy and momentum, resulting in a sharp peak in the calculated phonon absorption spectrum. Apart from its relevance to studies of stability and failure of small sized solids, such coherent nanospallation may be used to make atomic wires or monolayer films.