Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 January 2013
Metadislocations are highly complex and pivotal defects mediating plastic deformation in complex metallic alloys. Here, we review recent results on the structure of metadislocations in the phases T-Al-Mn-Pd, T-Al-Mn-Fe and o-Al13Co4. In these materials, metadislocation motion is of particular interest as it takes place by pure glide in contrast to most other complex metallic alloys. Recently, novel metadislocations were found in the T-phase [1]. They have Burgers vectors ${\rm{\vec b}} = \pm \tau ^{ - n} c\left( {\matrix{ 0 & 0 & 1 \cr } } \right)$ (n = 2, 3, 4) and are associated to two, four and six planar defects, respectively. The type of planar defect depends on the deformation geometry. Metadislocation glide creates (1 0 0) stacking faults and climb creates (0 0 1) phason planes. Metadislocation glide was observed in the o-Al13Co4 phase, as well [2]. The close structural relation of metadislocations in the phases T-Al-Mn-Pd, T-Al-Mn-Fe, Al13Co4 and ε6-Al-Pd-Mn is discussed.