Vol 18, No 6 (2025)

The applicability of the digital image correlation (DIC) method to atomic force microscopy (AFM) topographies under local loading is demonstrated. Technically pure Grade 4 titanium after equal-channel angular pressing according to the Conform scheme was investigated. Local deformation was formed by a microspherical diamond indenter (R = 2.5 μm). AFM scanning of the pre-/post-indentation region was performed with registration using a square scratch pattern (~1 µm). Pre-processing included artifact suppression and field equalization. Subpixel DIC over local windows provided recovery of the radial and tangential components of the displacement field. Continuous maps were obtained, capturing the propagation of disturbances beyond the contact zone and the features of local plastic deformation. The results confirm the technical feasibility and informativeness of DIC for quantitative mapping of displacements during nanoindentation of ultrafine-grained titanium.

In modern metrology, the size of an atom is determined statistically as half the interatomic distance in a crystal lattice, rather than through direct measurement of an isolated atom. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are key tools for directly observing and measuring the geometry of individual atoms weakly bound to a substrate. The image obtained in STM is the spatial distribution of the electron density of the outer shell of the atom. Although STM is traditionally considered a more detailed method, AFM with modified probes can in some cases provide greater resolution and the ability to chemically identify atoms. In this article, we have collected data on the observation of atoms and their size measurements using scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy.

We demonstrated the narrowing of the distributed feedback laser linewidth from 210 kHz to 150 Hz via self-injection locking with a photonic integrated circuit-based external Si resonator. This opens the prospects for compact narrow lasers for pure microwave signal generation.

The work presents the results of a study on determination of metallic coatings thickness on carbon fibers and microstructure of metal-matrix composite materials based on aluminum reinforced with modified carbon fibers. Protective coatings made of metals such as nickel and copper served as modifiers for the carbon fibers. These coatings allowed for impregnation of the carbon fiber with molten aluminum using a liquid-phase method, resulting in highly reinforced metal-matrix composite materials with a volumetric content of carbon fiber of 72–75%.