Direct Quantification of Ordering at a Solid-Liquid Interface Using Aberration Corrected Transmission Electron Microscopy

We have used aberration corrected in situ transmission electron microscopy to study the interface between liquid Al and different sapphire facet planes, including quantitative analysis of the degree of residual contrast delocalization, ensuring that the experimental contrast perturbations can be associated with density perturbations in the liquid. The results confirm that the liquid is ordered at the interface, and the degree of ordering varies as a function of the sapphire facet planes, with a decreasing degree of order according to {0006} > {1 (2) over bar 10} > {10 (1) over bar2} >= {(1) over bar 014}.