INTERFACE PHENOMENA IN MULTILAYERS

Critical phenomena in a variety of nanoscale multilayer materials include discontinuities of interdiffusivities at low temperatures, the "supermodulus effect" and "softening" of elastic constants of f.c.c.-b.c.c. structures. New calculations of elastic constants of (111) f.c.c. and (110) b.c.c. metallic superlattices show large changes as a function of lattice strains. The effect of structural relaxations on a number of electronic and magnetic properties is discussed and a new analytical model is developed to explain the origin of interference effects when interfaces are apart by a few interplanar spacings. This model can be extended to predict relaxations at interfaces for a variety of materials including metals, semiconductors and ceramics. © 1990.