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Tuning superelasticity in high entropy alloy via a hidden strain order
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  • Published: 03 February 2026

Tuning superelasticity in high entropy alloy via a hidden strain order

  • Quanfeng He  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1728-85791,2 na1,
  • Shuai Ren2,3,4 na1,
  • Xinlei Gu2 na1,
  • Hao Gong2,
  • Xufeng Wang1,
  • Zhaoqi Chen2,
  • Rong Han2,
  • Qing Wang  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6941-23835,
  • Jianfeng Gu  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0762-69761,
  • Shijun Zhao  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0870-81532 &
  • …
  • Yong Yang  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0491-82952,6 

Nature Communications , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Mechanical properties
  • Metals and alloys

Abstract

Superelasticity – exhibiting either Hookean (linear) or non-Hookean (nonlinear) recoverable strain beyond 2% – has been realized in distinct material systems such as metallic glasses, shape memory alloys, strain glass alloys and Gum metals, enabling diverse technological applications. Here we demonstrate that, through compositional tuning in a high-entropy alloy, the elastic behavior can be continuously and reversibly modulated between Hookean superelasticity, non-Hookean superelasticity with an ultrahigh recoverable strain of ~8%, and back to the Hookean regime. By combining atomic-scale strain mapping and extensive first-principles calculations, we reveal that this tunability is governed by a hidden strain order, arising from frustrated crystallization of two competing phases. As a result, local lattice distortion arises, producing a heterogeneous strain landscape that modulates phase stability, phase transformation propensity, and elastic response. Our findings establish a materials design strategy for programming Hookean and non-Hookean elasticity behavior on demand, with promising applications in microelectromechanical systems, high-precision actuators, and adaptive damping devices.

Data availability

The data generated in this study are provided in the Supplementary Information/Source Data file. Source data are provided with this paper. All the raw data relevant to the study are available from the corresponding author upon request. Source data are provided with this paper.

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Acknowledgements

QFH acknowledges the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52301211). YY acknowledges the support of Research Grants Council, the Hong Kong government, through the General Research Fund with the grant numbers (CityU11201721, CityU11202924 and CityU11207325). RS acknowledges the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52371160) and the National Key R&D Program of China (grant no. 2024YFB3817600). SJZ acknowledges the support of Research Grant Council of Hong Kong (No. 11205224).

Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Quanfeng He, Shuai Ren, Xinlei Gu.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Materials Modification and Modelling, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

    Quanfeng He, Xufeng Wang & Jianfeng Gu

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Quanfeng He, Shuai Ren, Xinlei Gu, Hao Gong, Zhaoqi Chen, Rong Han, Shijun Zhao & Yong Yang

  3. Shenzhen Key Laboratory of High Performance Nontraditional Manufacturing, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China

    Shuai Ren

  4. Center for Advanced Smart Materials, Yongjiang Laboratory, Ningbo, China

    Shuai Ren

  5. State Key Laboratory of Materials for Advanced Nuclear Energy & School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China

    Qing Wang

  6. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Yong Yang

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  1. Quanfeng He
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Contributions

Y.Y., S.J.Z., and J.F.G. supervised the project. Y.Y., Q.F.H., and S.R. conceived the idea. Q.F.H. and S.R. fabricated the samples and characterized their structures and mechanical properties. X.L.G. and S.J.Z. carried out the atomistic simulations. H.G., X.F.W., Z.Q.C., R.H., and Q.W. contributed to the data analysis. Y.Y. and Q.F.H. wrote the manuscript. All authors participated in the discussion of the results.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jianfeng Gu, Shijun Zhao or Yong Yang.

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He, Q., Ren, S., Gu, X. et al. Tuning superelasticity in high entropy alloy via a hidden strain order. Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69108-6

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  • Received: 14 September 2025

  • Accepted: 23 January 2026

  • Published: 03 February 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69108-6

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