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Current-induced stabilization of surface morphology in stressed solids
Vivek Tomar1, M Rauf Gungor, Dimitrios Maroudas
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-3110, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|February 1, 2008
Summary
Electric current stabilizes stressed solids by preventing surface crack formation through electromigration. This finding has broad implications for understanding solid surface behavior under combined forces.
Area of Science:
- Solid-state physics
- Materials science
- Surface science
Background:
- Solid surfaces under mechanical stress are prone to instabilities like cracks.
- Electric fields can influence surface morphology through phenomena like electromigration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of simultaneous electric field and mechanical stress on the surface morphology of conducting crystalline solids.
- To determine if electric current can mitigate surface instabilities in stressed solids.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a fully nonlinear model.
- Combined linear stability theory with self-consistent dynamical simulations.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that electric current, via surface electromigration, stabilizes the solid's surface morphology.
- Showed stabilization against cracklike surface instabilities.
Conclusions:
- Electric current is an effective mechanism for stabilizing stressed solid surfaces.
- The findings have broader implications for the morphological response of surfaces subjected to multiple external forces.
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