Mechanical response of the constrained nanostructured layer in heterogeneous laminate

Understanding the inter-zone interaction-dependent mechanical behavior of constituent zones in heterostructured material is fundamental but challenging. Here we report quantitative investigations on the mechanical response of a nanostructured Cu-10Zn layer constrained by coarse-grained Cu layers in a laminate. The nanostructure layer displays large uniform elongation, moderate work hardening but gradually reduced engineering stress. Such unique responses are primarily attributed to the inter-layer constraint, which leads to the formation of dispersed stable strain bands and thus enables extensive activation of mechanical twinning and stacking faults. These findings provide new insights into the deformation and load-bearing mechanisms of heterostructures.