In-situ TEM irradiation creep experiment revealing radiation induced dislocation glide in pure copper

International audienceIn-situ straining experiments were performed on pure copper to investigate dislocation motion under heavy ion irradiation at high stress levels. The unpinning of dislocations from irradiation defects followed by glide was observed under irradiation at stress level just below the critical stress for dislocation glide without irradiation. This phenomenon was unraveled for the first time in copper. The dislocation dynamics recorded in-situ was statistically analyzed using digital image processing to determine the pinning lifetime. Quantitative analysis of pinning lifetimes have been performed, suggesting that a cascade related mechanism is operative to explain the fast dislocation glide under irradiation. This work provides a new insight on the irradiation creep deformation at high stress level