High-throughput validation of phase formability and simulation accuracy of cantor alloys
• Perform high-throughput in-situ XRD on co-sputtered FeNiMnCr HEA thin films. • Introduce a modified logistic function to calibrate DFT-predicted transformation temperatures. • Propose a quantitative confidence metric linking high-throughput experiments and computations • Enable systematic assessment of computational models to guide future experiments. High-throughput methods enable accelerated discovery of novel materials in complex systems such as high-entropy alloys, which exhibit intricate phase stability across vast compositional spaces. Computational approaches, including Density Functional Theory (DFT) and calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD), facilitate screening of phase formability as a function of composition and temperature. However, the integration of computational predictions with experimental validation remains challenging in high-throughput studies. In this work, we introduce a quantitative confidence metric to assess the agreement between predictions and experimental observations, providing a quantitative measure of the confidence of machine learning models trained on either DFT or CALPHAD input in accounting for experimental evidence. The experimental dataset was generated via high-throughput in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction on compositionally varied FeNiMnCr alloy libraries, heated from room temperature to ∼1000 °C. Agreement between the observed and predicted phases was evaluated using either temperature-independent phase classification or a model that incorporates a temperature-dependent probability of phase formation. This integrated approach demonstrates where strong overall agreement exists between computation and experiment, while also identifying key discrepancies, particularly in FCC/BCC predictions at Mn-rich regions to inform future model refinement.
Authors
- Beatriz D. Moreno (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2376-5324)
- S. E. Lofland (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1024-5103)
- A. Couet
- KANGMING LI
- Natalie Page (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1369-2600)
- C. Lavoie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8516-6904)
- Changjun Cheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2720-8683)
- Daniel Persaud
- Michael J. Moorehead
- Jason Hattrick-Simpers
Institutions
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Idaho National Laboratory (US)
- Structural Genomics Consortium (CA)
- IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center (US)
- Vector Institute (CA)
- Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute (CA)
- Rowan University (US)
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (SA)
- Canadian Light Source (Canada) (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Applied Materials Today
- Published
- 2026-03-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2026.103178
- Primary Topic
- Machine Learning in Materials Science
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00