Two-pulse laser-induced spall failure of (111) twist grain boundaries in Ni bicrystals

Spall failure, a complex failure mechanism driven by tensile stress wave interactions, has been extensively studied in single-crystal FCC metals, revealing a precursor stage involving dislocation emission along closed-packed directions. Here we investigate the laser-induced spall failure of Ni bicrystals under a two-pulse laser configuration, exploring various misorientation angles through two-temperature molecular dynamics (MD) simulations including electronic effects to simulate light–matter interaction. Our findings demonstrate that light–matter interactions can induce spall failure at the sample center, similar to conventional plate-impact methods, when two laser-pulses are applied to the front and back surfaces of the sample. The study reveals the significant influence of misorientation angles on dislocation activity and spall behavior, where grain boundaries (GBs) play pivotal roles, either promoting or impeding dislocation interactions. Furthermore, our work highlights the potential for enhancing spall resistance by tailoring materials through misorientation angle variation. • MD study of laser-induced spall at twist GBs in bicrystalline Ni. • Dislocation activity peaks before spallation, influencing failure. • IAGBs resist spall better than GBs with lower interfacial energy.