Atomistic simulation of the eutectic mixture in bulk and nano-layered Ag-40Â at.%Cu alloy

Eutectic decomposition in bulk Ag-40 at.%Cu and its nanolayers with (0 0 1) free surfaces was simulated in an atomistic scale by means of hybrid Monte Carlo/Molecular Statics simulations with Tight-Binding Second Moment Approximation type potentials. While lamellar Cu precipitates formed in the bulk, diversified precipitate morphology and surface segregation of Ag atoms was observed in the layers. The effect of the layer thickness on the precipitate geometry was analysed.