| Abstract Scope |
This talk will describe our efforts to merge exploratory experiments and computation with data-driven methods to define new thermodynamic foundations that better explain the behavior of groups of atoms under externally applied electromagnetic fields. We used high-resolution synchrotron x-ray studies to demonstrate the first experimental evidence that 2.45 GHz microwave fields stabilize a different atomic structural arrangements or phase(s) in ceramics like TiO2, and ZrO2, compared to conventional, high temperature furnace based synthesis. Through a combination of in-situ and ex-situ characterization, as well as molecular dynamics simulations, we show that externally applied fields can induce far-from-equilibrium phases in ceramics via a defect-mediated, field-driven, nonthermal effect. Our work thus lays the theoretical foundations for deploying EM fields as a new processing tool to access high temperature ceramic phases with minimal thermal input; allowing us to explore regions of phase space, microstructures, and properties not accessible via conventional synthesis. |