Nucleation of the Plasticity at Nanodeformation of the Y3Al5O12 Yttrium-Aluminum Garnet

Abstract

The nanoindentation in the continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) mode was used to study the nucleation of the plasticity at the nanodeformation of the yttrium-aluminium garnet (YAG) having a low ((111) YAG single crystal after the annealing at the temperature of 1300°C) and a high (polycrystalline yttrium-aluminium garnet with a grain size of ~ 20 μm after the mechanical polishing) density of dislocations. For a sample having a high dislocations density a smooth elastoplastic transition was observed in the nanocontact as a result of the motion and multiplication of dislocations that are already present in the sample. For (111) YAG single crystal after annealing at the temperature of 1300°C an abrupt elastoplastic transition (pop-in) caused by a homogeneous nucleation of dislocations in the region under the contact was observed.