Interaction of defects in disordered materials – Insights from a nonlinear decomposition of the nonaffine displacement field

Abstract

In this paper, we link the unique mechanical properties to structural aspects using a splitting method in order to disentangle nonlinear interactions of Stone–Wales defects as fundamental perturbations in a crystalline environment. We investigate the spatial features of the displacement field achieved by this splitting method and couple it to macroscopic material properties. The nonlinear interaction broadens the understanding of material failure at the onset of disorder and may also play a role in the emergence of the Boson peak.