# New epitaxy method stabilised four metastable crystalline phases

> A research team led by MIT used a method it calls diffusion-activated epitaxy to experimentally stabilise four distinct crystalline phases. The preprint says diffraction and microscopy data for three phases did not match structures in the crystal databases examined.

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- Section: Science
- Country: United States
- Published: 2026-10-13T00:51:40+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-13T00:51:40+00:00
- Event / data period: 2026-10-09
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The method places a higher-melting-point oxide substrate in a liquid environment containing tin flux and cobalt powder. During heat treatment, diffusion is activated at the substrate surface while its bulk remains solid. The team examined products formed on LaAlO₃, LSAT and SrTiO₃ using X-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy.

The researchers identified four phases; for three, the measured diffraction and microscopy results did not match entries in the experimental and computational inorganic-structure databases they checked. Small sample volumes limited full crystallographic structure determination. The paper presents the technique as a laboratory route for materials exploration; it does not demonstrate an application or scaled production.

## Data

### Reported study result

The authors identified four distinct crystalline phases across experiments on three oxide substrates; this is not a count of commercial products.

Methodology: Count reported from X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy; three phases did not match structures in the databases examined.

| Reported quantity | Value | Study-specific scope |
|---|---|---|
| Distinct phases identified with diffusion-activated epitaxy | 4 | The authors identified four distinct crystalline phases across experiments on three oxide substrates; this is not a count of commercial products. |

Sources: <https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.13859> · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/diffusion-activated-epitaxy-stabilizes-four-material-phases-2026/data/study-result?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/diffusion-activated-epitaxy-stabilizes-four-material-phases-2026/data/study-result?lang=en&format=csv)

## Sources

- [arXiv](<https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.13859>) (Source checked: 2026-10-13; Published: 2026-10-09)

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