The Influence of Quantum Effects on the Low‐Temperature Creep of Zinc Crystals

Abstract

Abstract The creep of single crystals of Zn deformed by simple shear along the basis plane (0001) has been investigated in the temperature range 1.5 to 80 °K. It is shown that the influence of temperature on the creep in the investigated temperature range is weaker than that predicted by the classical theory of thermally activated creep. A peculiar temperature run of parameters describing the creep process has been discovered and proved anomalous as compared with the classical run. A mechanism for the influence of zero‐point vibrations of the dislocation line on its motion through an aggregate of local obstacles is suggested and analyzed. The results obtained in this way show a satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.