Based on perturbation-resolved electron spectrometrics (PRS), we derived that the radiation resistance of hetero-juncted interfaces is fundamentally predetermined by their static, ground-state electronic structure, not merely by dynamic atomic collision events. Interfaces dominated by charge polarization (CP), like Be/W (γ 1), localizes energy into the lattice. CP-dominant Be/W exhibits an energy density of 101.25 eV/Å3 – nearly four times higher than QT-dominant Cu/Sn (27.07 eV/Å3). This electronic polarization and high-energy density predetermination explain the superior radiation tolerance of Be/W-based alloys in fusion environments. The work shifts radiation damage paradigms from reactive defect models to proactive quantum-level design, enabling engineered materials for extreme environments.
Sun et al. (Tue,) studied this question.