Abstract Scope |
Dislocations are linear defects in crystalline solids, and their motion dominates many mechanical, thermal, optical and electrical properties of crystalline materials. For decades, the dislocation motion has been associated with mechanical loading or stresses, while driving dislocation motion by a non-mechanical field alone is rarely expected and has never been directly observed. Here we show an electric field drives the movement of dislocations, in the absence of mechanical loading, in a inorganic compound using in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM). Atomic-resolution imaging of the dislocation cores reveals their nonstoichiometric and charged nature. Using the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we demonstrate that glide potentials of various partial dislocations. Our results provide pave the way for fabrication and processing of brittle crystals, such as a wide range of semiconductors, novel small-scale devices. |