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arXiv · 1601.02057

Ordering and dimensional crossovers in metallic glasses and liquids

David Z. Chen·Qi An·William. A. Goddard III·Julia R. Greer
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Abstract

The atomic-level structures of liquids and glasses are amorphous, lacking long-range order. We characterize the atomic structures by integrating radial distribution functions (RDF) from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for several metallic liquids and glasses: Cu46Zr54, Ni80Al20, Ni33.3Zr66.7, and Pd82Si18. Resulting cumulative coordination numbers (CN) show that metallic liquids have a dimension of d = 2.55 +/- 0.06 from the center atom to the first coordination shell and metallic glasses have d = 2.71 +/- 0.04, both less than 3. Between the first and second coordination shells, both phases crossover to a dimension of d = 3, as for a crystal. Observations from discrete atom center-of-mass position counting are corroborated by continuously counting Cu glass- and liquid-phase atoms on an artificial grid, which accounts for the occupied atomic volume. Results from Cu grid analysis show short-range d = 2.65 for Cu liquid and d = 2.76 for Cu glass. Cu grid structures crossover to d = 3 at {\xi}~8 {\AA} (~3 atomic diameters). We study the evolution of local structural dimensions during quenching and discuss its correlation with the glass transition phenomenon.

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David Z. Chen, Qi An, William. A. Goddard III, Julia R. Greer. 2016-01-09. Ordering and dimensional crossovers in metallic glasses and liquids. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.95.024103 10.1103/physrevb.95.024103

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