bicrystals
A bicrystal is a sample consisting of two crystalline grains that meet at a single, planar grain boundary. The two grains have distinct crystallographic orientations, defined by a misorientation angle and the orientation of the boundary plane. The boundary may be classified as tilt, twist, or a mixed boundary. In tilt boundaries the rotation axis lies in the boundary plane; in twist boundaries the axis is perpendicular to the boundary plane. The boundary energy and mobility depend on the misorientation and boundary character.
Bicrystal samples are prepared by starting with two single-crystal pieces of the same material, orienting them
Bicrystals serve as simplified models for studying grain-boundary phenomena in metals, ceramics, and semiconductors. They enable
Limitations include that a bicrystal represents a single, ideal boundary and may not capture the complexity