Using advanced microscopy coupled with novel computer simulations to track atomic movement, researchers conducted real-time atomic-level observations of grain boundary deformation in poly-grained metallic materials called polycrystalline materials. They observed previously unrecognized processes that affect material properties, such as atoms that hop from one plane to another across a grain boundary. Their work pushes the limits of atomic-level probing, and enables a deeper understanding of how polycrystalline materials deform, and smarter design of new materials for extreme engineering applications.
