| Abstract Scope |
Defects in crystalline solids, as well as their atomic microenvironments, play a central role in plastic deformation. Evidence is also emerging of confined phases that remain anchored to crystalline defects including planar faults, grain boundaries and dislocations. Here, we highlight recent developments in defect characterization across a suite of electron microscopy modalities, including both TEM and SEM platforms, the latter of which offers versatility for in-situ testing. We further demonstrate how information encoded in diffraction patterns collected using SEMs is amplified by a new generation of direct electron detectors that enable acquisition of high-fidelity patterns that can be used for defect characterization. We will show how these techniques can be employed for experiments to study the nature of dislocations in structural metals and alloys, including Heusler alloys hosting distinct spin exchange interactions at defect cores, and FCC alloys hosting local chemical and structural ordering in the vicinity of dislocation cores. |