Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
The elementary diffusion jump of Fe atoms in the ordered intermetallic alloy FeAl is studied in a coordinated effort of atomistic experimental techniques, Monte Carlo simulation and abinitio electron theory. The experiment demands that the elementary diffusion jump is a jump into an antistructure site on the Al sublattice which is occupied for a much shorter time than the sites on the Fe sublattice. The diffusion path can be followed by Monte Carlo simulations which can perfectly explain the experiments. Since ab-initio theory yields a very low concentration of Al vacancies it is suggested that correlated jumps of two atoms prevent the creation of a fully developed Al vacancy.