LAUSR

Significance Multi–principal element alloys exhibit outstanding mechanical properties owing to severe atomic lattice distortion. However, the heterogeneous strain caused by lattice distortion at the microscopic or mesoscopic scale has been ignored for a long time because the heterogeneous strain field is difficult to quantify and characterize. Our experiments and simulations clearly show that the heterogeneous strain field can contribute to the enhanced mechanical properties of multi–principal element alloys through the new heterogeneous strain-induced strengthening mechanisms, leading to the strength-ductility synergy in severely distorted compositionally complex crystals.