The month of July was dedicated to work on the deposition of nanoparticles from the obtianed colloidal solutions, computer simulations and I starter preparing a doctoral thesis. At the end of the month were held weekly researcher visit at the Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw.
I was depositing 140 nm silver nanoparticles and measuring optical response and microstructure. The FDTD simulation enabled determination the influence of nanoparticles sizes distribution on optical behaviour. The 10% decrease in Si reflectivity was obtained.

In July, I decided to fill the gaps in my knowledge.
I've read a lot of paper. This was
the first step in writing of my PhD thesis.
In order to write a good introductory part I needed
to refresh information concerning
properties of materials which are affected by grain boundaries,
current achievements in so-called interface engineering,
experimental techniques for measuring boundary geometry, etc.

Development of potential parameters to describe the interatomic interactions of liquid aluminium alloys. Fitting those parameters to first principles calculations. Finally, determination of structural and dynamic properties as a function of temperature.

First month of summer time I spent for the LLP-ERASMUS individual training programme internship in the Joanneum Research Forschunsgesellschaft mbH Materials – Institute of Surface Technologies and Photonics Functional Surfaces from 01.06.2014 to 28.06.2014 in Leoben – Austria.
I had an opportunity to get experience and perform experiments on application of the plasma polymerization methods and tribological measurements. I completed the following plan:
1. Familiarization with laboratory equipment and experimental procedures.
2. Preparation of thin films by the plasma polymerization methods.
3. Training in tribological measurements.
4. Micro-mechanical analysis of the polyelectrolyte thin films.
5. Introduction of nano-particles into polyelectrolyte multilayer by plasma polymerization method.

The texture presented in Fig. 2a favours tensile 10-12 twinning during compression along R3 axis (Z axis of the sample). That is because c axes of crystallites lie perpendicular to axis of compression and they are subjected to tension in this deformation mode.
Due to presence of six equivalent {10-12} planes in a hexagonal crystal lattice, grain can undergo twinning in six different ways: {10-12}<-1011>, {01-12}<0-111>, {-1102}<1-101>, {-1012}<10-11>, {0-112}<01-11>, {1-102}<-1101>. The choice of the variant depends on the crystal orientation and direction of the shear stress. The most common model describing the twinning behaviour of Mg alloys is use of Schmid factor (SF) for calculation of grain possible twinning variants. Although there have been reported many deviations from the Schmid law for mechanical twinning, this model seems to be the most appropriate for description of simple {10-12} twinning in Mg.