Asymmetrical Defect Sink Behaviour of HCP/BCC Zr/Nb Multilayer Interfaces: Bubble-Denuded Zones at Nb Layers

Abstract: Radiation induced helium bubble formation poses a major challenge to the structural integrity of materials in nuclear energy systems. In this study, we investigate defect evolution and He behavior in ZrNb nanoscale metallic multilayers with immiscible BCC and HCP interfaces, irradiated with 80 keV He ions. For comparison, single crystal Nb and polycrystalline Zr were also irradiated under identical conditions to serve as reference materials. Using cross sectional TEM, SIMS, STEM EELS, nanoindentation, Doppler Broadening Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy, Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy, and atomistic simulations, we reveal a highly asymmetric damage response across the multilayer interfaces. Zr layers exhibit larger He bubbles, higher swelling, and greater helium retention while Nb layers develop bubble-denuded zones exclusively around the interfaces, where bubble nucleation is strongly suppressed and swelling is limited. This asymmetry arises from differences in atomic transport properties DFT calculations show lower migration barriers for vacancies and He atoms in Nb, enabling efficient defect migration and recombination at interfaces, whereas Zr retains defects due to higher migration barriers. EELS and DBS PALS measurements confirm bubble densities and the presence of sub-nanometer open volumes. Compared to monolithic samples, the ZrNb multilayers exhibit lower irradiation induced hardening and reduced He retention. These findings highlight the role of interfaces in driving asymmetric radiation damage and demonstrate the effectiveness of BCC Nb layers in mitigating defect growth. Overall, ZrNb multilayers are established as a superior alternative to conventional single and polycrystalline materials for extreme irradiation environments.