Calculation of the long-range order parameter from atom probe data

In addition to the known diffraction techniques, field-ion microscopy with atom probe is well established for determining the long-range order parameter. The site occupation probabilities of the chemical species on the different sublattices may be estimated from experimental profiles. However, this evaluation method demands that the superstructure planes be identified unequivocally from the data. This condition is not fulfilled in all cases. We propose a new analytical method for which this condition need not be met. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.