Be surface structures on W(110) and W(211): A DFT study

Beryllium and Tungsten are promising candidates for use as plasma facing materials (PFMs) in upcoming fusion reactors. Many complex and competing phenomena however complicate the understanding and development of materials that operate in the harsh conditions of the reactor. In particular, redeposition of Be onto the W divertor must be considered due to the expected erosion of the Be first wall under exposure to the plasma. It is known that a build up of Be on W allows for the formation of BeW alloys which can harm the longevity and performance of the fusion divertor. In an effort to understand the interaction of Be with W surfaces, a study of Be structures on W(110) and W(211) as a function of Be coverage has been carried out using Density Functional Theory. We have found that both W surfaces develop monolayers of Be characterized by a densely packed hexagonal structure. Below this monolayer coverage, Be structures are found to have two motifs of coverage, a densely packed hexagonal pattern punctuated by areas of low-density coverage. The structures found here produce work function values and trends in good agreement with experimental measurements.(c) 2022 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Beryllium and Tungsten are promising candidates for use in upcoming fusion reactors as plasma facing materials. This study investigates the interaction of Be with W surfaces, finding that Be forms densely packed hexagonal structures on both W(110) and W(211). The research contributes to the understanding of Be-W interaction.