Resumen

The performance of metallic materials under cryogenic conditions is critical for advancing technologies in aerospace, hydrogen economy, and superconductivity. However, designing alloys for these extreme environments is challenging due to the complex interplay of deformation mechanisms that are activated at low temperatures, where thermal activation is suppressed. After a peak of interest in the 1960s, research into cryogenic deformation has recently resurged, driven largely by the discovery of high-entropy alloys that exhibit exceptional ductility at low temperatures. This talk will explore how we uncover the underlying deformation mechanisms in these materials. Using in-situ neutron and synchrotron diffraction at cryogenic temperatures, we can actively observe and quantify the activation of key mechanisms in advanced metallic materials. These real-time insights provide a direct pathway for designing the next generation of high-performance materials built to withstand the extreme cold.