Discovery of Double Helix and Impact on Nanoscale to Mesoscale Crystalline Structures

Screw dislocations play a significant role in the growth of crystalline structures by providing a continuous source of surface steps which represent available sites for crystal growth. Here, we show that pure screw dislocations can become helical from the absorption of defects (e.g., vacancies) and develop an attractive interaction with another helical dislocation to form a double helix of screw dislocations. These single and double helices of screw dislocations can result in the formation of interesting nanostructures with large Eshelby twists. We have previously proposed the formation of a double helix of screw dislocations to explain large Eshelby twists in crystalline nanostructures (Mater. Res. Lett. 2021, 9, 453-457). We now show direct evidence for the formation of a double helix during thermal annealing of screw dislocations. The large Burgers vectors associated with these dislocations are used to explain the presence of large Eshelby twists in PbSe and PbS (NaCl cubic structure) and InP and GeS (wurtzite hexagonal structure) nanowires. These single-and double-helix screw dislocations can also combine to create even larger super Burgers vectors. These large effective Burgers also unravel the mechanism for the formation of nanopipes and micropipes with hollow cores and nanotubes with Eshelby twists in technologically important materials such as SiC, GaN, and ZnO that are utilized in a variety of advanced solid-state devices.

Automated summary

Screw dislocations play a significant role in the growth of crystalline structures and can become helical through the absorption of defects. By interacting with each other, these helical dislocations form double helices and contribute to the formation of nanostructures with large Eshelby twists. This research provides evidence for the formation of a double helix during thermal annealing and offers an explanation for the presence of large Eshelby twists in various nanowires. These screw dislocations also have implications for the formation of nanopipes and nanotubes with Eshelby twists in important materials used in solid-state devices.