Sub-micron strain analysis of local stick-slip motion of individual shear bands in a bulk metallic glass

Nanodot deposition on a side surface of a rectangular sample and digital image correlation are used to quantify the in-plane strain fields associated with the propagation of a shear band in a PdNiP bulk metallic glass, induced by rolling. Within the resolution of the method related to an average inter-dot distance of 100 nm, deformation is found to be highly localized at the shear bands, while alternating areas with a size of 100-400 nm with opposite local shear strains are found. This phenomenon substantiates a local stick-slip nature of shear band propagation during the metallic glass deformation, even during rolling. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.