Source mechanism of non-basal 〈c + a〉 slip in Ti alloy

The operation of 〈c + a〉 slip is explored using in situ mechanical testing in a transmission electron microscope by compressing a single-crystal Ti alloy oriented along the [0 0 0 1] direction. In this direction 〈c + a〉 slip is the preferred slip mode. We observed the operation of a 〈c + a〉 dislocation source while simultaneously measuring the mechanical response. Our results show that 〈c + a〉 dislocations could operate as single-arm sources. A model for the source mechanism of 〈c + a〉 slip is proposed based on the experimental observations.