Solid-state methods for ceramic metallization: Unlocking structural complexity, quantum effects, and multifunctionality

The metallization of ceramics is essential for advanced technological applications but remains challenging due to poor metal-ceramic adhesion and structural incompatibility. A solid-state mechanical alloying approach using ultrasonically assisted shot impact processing, which can also utilize metallic cubic billets as a coating material source, is introduced. This approach is demonstrated on W-Al- and W-Ni-based coatings fabricated on alumina substrates. The method enables the formation of a structurally complex system, integrating amorphous regions, nanocrystalline grains, and localized non-equilibrium solid solutions into a uniform structure. The as-fabricated coatings impart electrical conductivity and magnetic properties to the initially insulating ceramic substrate, while their exceptional adhesion ensures mechanical integrity, allowing the coating to co-deform with the substrate without delamination prior to ceramic fracture. Additionally, quantum transport phenomena, including weak localization and negative magnetoresistance at 6 K, are observed, revealing a direct correlation between structural complexity and electronic behavior. The emergence of quantum phenomena in mechanically integrated multicomponent metallic systems provides insight into quantum behavior in severely deformed materials and opens new possibilities for designing advanced functional materials.