Cottrell atmospheres along dislocations in long-period stacking ordered phases in a Mg–Zn–Y alloy

Dislocations and local chemistries around them in plastically deformed long-period stacking ordered phases in a Mg–Zn–Y alloy have been investigated by the combination of atomic resolution electron microscopy imaging and nano-probe energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements. Zn/Y Cottrell atmospheres were observed along dislocations at kink boundaries and individual dislocations in bulk long-period stacking ordered phase. Evidence for unpinning of dislocations from Cottrell atmospheres was also observed. A binding energy of about 0.05 eV is estimated between the dislocations and solute atoms trapped within the atmospheres.