Random-Walk Diffusion in Crystals

The simplest and most basic model for the diffusion of atoms across the bulk of a solid is to assume that they move by a series of random jumps, due to the fact that all the atoms are being continually jostled by thermal energy. The path followed is called a random (or drunkard s) walk. It is, at first sight, surprising that any diffusion will take place under these circumstances because, intuitively, the distance that an atom will move via random jumps in one direction would be balanced by jumps in the opposite direction, so that the overall displacement would be expected to average out to zero. Nevertheless, this is not so, and a diffusion coefficient for this model can be defined (see Supplementary Material Section S5). 

For example, suppose a planar layer of N tracer atoms is the starting point, and suppose that each atom diffuses from the interface by a random walk in a direction perpendicular to the interface, in what is effectively one-dimensional diffusion. The probability of a jump to the right is taken to be equal to the probability of a jump to the left, and each is equal to 0.5. The random-walk model leads to the following result  

The surprising result is that net atom displacement will occur due to random movement alone. It is possible to use Eq. (5.5) to define a diffusion coefficient. To agree with Fick s first law, the relationship chosen is 

The factor of 2 in Eq. (5.6) arises from the one-dimensional nature of the random walk and, hence, is a result of the geometry of the diffusion process. In the case of random-walk diffusion on a two-dimensional surface  

The random-walk model of diffusion can also be applied to derive the shape of the penetration profile. A plot of the final position reached for each atom (provided the number of diffusing atoms, N, is large) can be approximated by a continuous function, the Gaussian or normal distribution curve2 with a form  

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