Patterning of martensitic nanotwins

We perform the atomistic Monte Carlo simulations of formation of nanostructured martensites in nickel–titanium thin films. The results reveal the atomistically resolved patterning of martensitic nanotwins, including coarsening, branching and twinning within twins, as mediated by temperature and substrate constraints. A scaling law is derived to elucidate the physical effects governing the characteristic nanostructure length scale of the twin width. Our modeling approach opens up possibilities for the atomistically based design of martensitic nanostructures to produce advanced alloys with optimized properties.