arXiv subjects

M. Micoulaut

Publications and source records attributed to M. Micoulaut.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

Fast-ion conduction and flexibility of glassy networks

We observe two thresholds in the variations of electrical conductivity of dry solid electrolyte (AgI)x(AgPO3)1-x glasses, when the AgI additive concentration x increases to 9.5% and to 37.8%. Raman scattering complemented by calorimetric measurements confirm that these thresholds are signatures of the rigidity phase transitions; at x = 9.5% from a stressed rigid to an isostatically (stress free) rigid phase, and at x = 37.8% from isostatically rigid to a flexible phase. In the flexible phase, the electrical conductivity seems to increase as a power of x, this is in good agreement with the theoretical prediction based on 3d percolation.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2006

The structure of amorphous, crystalline and liquid GeO2

Germanium dioxide ($GeO_2$) is a chemical analogue of $SiO_2$. Furthermore, it is also to some extent a structural analogue, as the low and high-pressure short-range order (tetrahedral and octahedral) is the same. However, a number of differences exist. For example, the $GeO_2$ phase diagram exhibits a smaller number of polymorphs, and all three $GeO_2$ phases (crystalline, glass, liquid) have an increased sensitivity to pressure, undergoing pressure induced changes at much lower pressures than their equivalent $SiO_2$ analogues. In addition, differences exist in $GeO_2$ glass in the medium range order, resulting in the glass transition temperature of germania being much lower than for silica. This review highlights the structure of amorphous $GeO_2$ by different experimental (e.g., Raman and NMR spectroscopy, neutron and x-ray diffraction) and theoretical methods (e.g., classical molecular dynamics, ab initio calculations). It also addresses the structure of liquid and crystalline $GeO_2$ that have received much less attention. Furthermore, we compare and contrast the structural differences between $GeO_2$ and $SiO_2$, as well as, along the $GeO_2-SiO_2$ join. It is probably a very timely review as interest in this compound, that can be investigated in the liquid state at relatively low temperatures and pressures, continues to increase.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2006

Onset of rigidty in glasses: from random to self-organized networks

We review in this paper the signatures of a new elastic phase that is found in glasses with selected compositions. It is shown that in contrast with random networks, where rigidity percolates at a single threshold, networks that are able to self-organize to avoid stress will remain in an almost stress- free state during a compositional interval, an intermediate phase, that is bounded by a flexible phase and a stressed rigid phase. We report the experimental signatures and describe the theoretical efforts that have been accomplished to characterize the intermediate phase. We illustrate one of the methods used in more detail with the example of Group III chalcogenides and finally suggest further possible experimental signatures of self-organization.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2005

Granular gases in mechanical engineering: on the origin of heterogeneous ultrasonic shot peening

The behavior of an ultrasonic shot peening process is observed and analyzed by using a model of inelastic hard spheres in a gravitational field that are fluidized by a vibrating bottom wall (sonotrode) in a cylindrical chamber. A marked heterogeneous distribution of impacts appears when the collision between the shot and the side wall becomes inelastic with constant dissipation. This effect is one order of magnitude larger than the simple heterogeneity arising from boundary collision on the cylinder. Variable restitution coefficients bring the simulation closer to the general observation and allows the investigation of peening regimes with changing shot density. We compute within this model other physical quantities (impact velocities, impact angle, temperature and density profile) that are influenced by the number $N$ of spheres.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2004

Raman thresholds and rigid to floppy transitions in calcium silicate glasses

Alkaline earth silicate glasses $xCaO-(1-x)SiO_2$ exhibit a well marked threshold in Raman lineshapes which can be related to the onset of network rigidity as the concentration of calcium oxide $x$ is decreased. The present results are analyzed by constraint counting algorithms and more deeply characterized by a size increasing cluster approximation that allows to perform Maxwell mechanical constraint counting beyond the usual mean-field treatment. This permits to discuss under which structural conditions an elastic intermediate phase can be obtained.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2004

Direct evidence of rigidity loss and self-organisation in silicate glasses

The Brillouin elastic free energy change $DF$ between thermally annealed and quenched $(Na_2O)_x(SiO_2)_{1-x}$ glasses is found to decrease linearly at $x > 0.23$ (floppy phase), and to nearly vanish at $x < 0.18$ (stressed- rigid phase). The observed $D F(x)$ variation closely parallels the mean-field floppy mode fraction $f(x)$ in random networks, and fixes the two (floppy, stressed-rigid) elastic phases. In calorimetric measurements, the non-reversing enthalpy near $T_g$ is found to be large at $x < 0.18$ and at $x > 0.23$, but to nearly vanish in the $0.18 < x < 0.23$ range, suggesting existence of an intermediate phase between the floppy and stressed-rigid phases.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2003

Percolative conductivity in alkaline earth silicate melts and glasses

Ion conducting $(CaO)_x(SiO_2)_{1-x}$ glasses and melts show a threshold behaviour in dc conductivity near $x=x_t=0.50$, with conductivities increasing linearly at $x>x_t$. We show that the behaviour can be traced to a rigid ($x<0.50$) to floppy ($x>0.50$) elastic phase transition near $x=x_t$. In the floppy phase, conductivity enhancement is traced to increased mobility or diffusion of $Ca^{2+}$ carriers as the modified network elastically softens.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2003

The Intermediate Phase in Ternary GexAsxSe1-2x Glasses

Melt-quenched AsxGexSe1-2x glasses over the composition range, 0 < x < 0.26, are examined in Raman scattering, T-modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry (MDSC), and 119Sn Mossbauer spectroscopy measurements. The non-reversing enthalpy near Tg, DHnr(x), accessed from MDSC shows a global minimum (~ 0) in the xc(1) = 0.09 < x < xc(2) = 0.16 range, and increases by an order of magnitude both at x < xc(1) and at x > xc(2). Raman mode frequency of corner-sharing Ge(Se1/2)4 tetrahedra studied as a function of x, also shows three distinct regimes (or power-laws, p) that coincide with DHnr(x) trends. These regimes are identified with mechanically floppy (x < xc(1)), intermediate (xc(1) < x < xc(2)), and stressed-rigid (x > xc(2)) phases. The Raman elasticity power-law in the intermediate phase, p1 = 1.04(3), and in the stressed rigid phase, p2= 1.52(5), suggest effective dimensionalities of d = 2 and 3 respectively.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2003

Aging, Fragility and Reversibility Window in Bulk Alloy Glasses

Non-reversing relaxation enthalpies (DHnr) at glass transitions Tg(x) in the PxGexSe1-2x ternary display a wide, sharp and deep global minimum (~0) in the 0.09 < x < 0.145 range, within which Tg becomes thermally reversing. In the reversibility window these glasses are found not to age, in contrast to aging observed for fragile glass compositions outside the window. Thermal reversibility and lack of aging are paradigms that molecular glasses in the window share with proteins in transition states, which result from structural self-organization in both systems. In proteins the self-organized structures appear to be at places where life sustaining repeating foldings and unfoldings occur.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2002

Rings and rigidity transitions in network glasses

Three elastic phases of covalent networks, (I) floppy, (II) isostatically rigid and (III) stressed-rigid have now been identified in glasses at specific degrees of cross-linking (or chemical composition) both in theory and experiments. Here we use size-increasing cluster combinatorics and constraint counting algorithms to study analytically possible consequences of self-organization. In the presence of small rings that can be locally I, II or III, we obtain two transitions instead of the previously reported single percolative transition at the mean coordination number $\bar r=2.4$, one from a floppy to an isostatic rigid phase, and a second one from an isostatic to a stressed rigid phase. The width of the intermediate phase $~ \bar r$ and the order of the phase transitions depend on the nature of medium range order (relative ring fractions). We compare the results to the Group IV chalcogenides, such as Ge-Se and Si-Se, for which evidence of an intermediate phase has been obtained, and for which estimates of ring fractions can be made from structures of high T crystalline phases.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv1998

On the glass transition temperature in covalent glasses

We give a simple demonstration of the formula relating the glass transition temperature, $T_g$, to the molar concentration $x$ of a modifier in two types of glasses: binary glasses, whose composition can be denoted by $X_nY_m+xM_pY_q$, with ^$X$ an element of III-rd or IV-th group (e.g. B, or Si, Ge), while $M_pY_q$ is an alkali oxide or chalcogenide; next, the network glasses of the type $A_xB_{1-x}$, e.g. $Ge_xSe_{1-x}$, $Si_xTe_{1-x}$, etc. After comparison, this formula gives an exact expression of the parameter $β$ of the modified Gibbs-Di Marzio equation.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv1998

Simple rules for the prediction of the value of the glass transition temperature in network glasses

We give in this letter a set of general rules which allow the prediction of the value of the glass transition temperature $T_g$ in network glasses. Starting from the Gibbs-Di Marzio law which gives a very general relationship between this temperature and the average coordination number of a system, we explain how to compute from the valencies of the atoms of the glass, the parameter $β$ used in this law. We check the validity of the obtained expressiosn and show that it is possible to predict the glass transition temperature for any composition in multicomponent chalcogenide glasses. The possibility of existence of a demixed structure is also discussed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗