Antiphase boundaries, inversion, and ferroelastic domains in the striped-type superstructure of γ-brass Cu-Al alloys

Features of the striped-type superstructure in γ-brass Cu-Al alloys have been investigated mainly by transmission electron microscopy in order to understand the role of a rhombohedral distortion in its stability. From dark field images taken from alloys exhibiting the superstructure, it was found that there exist two types of ferroelastic rhombohedral domains, which are in a twin relation. In other words, the superstructure is characterized by a periodic array of the ferroelastic domains as well as inversion antiphase boundaries. Because charge density waves should be responsible for the formation of the superstructure, as suggested in our previous paper [Phys. Rev. B 40, 5378 (1989)], the rhombohedral distortion must play a crucial role in their appearance. Presumably the distortion enlarges parallel portions of the Fermi surface. On the basis of the present experimental data, the interplay between the striped-type superstructure and the rhombohedral γ-brass structure is also discussed.