97 research outputs found
Dynamical and quasistatic structural relaxation paths in Pd_(40)Ni_(40)P_(20) glass
By sequential heat treatment of a Pd_(40)Ni_(40)P_(20) metallic glass at temperatures and durations for which
α-relaxation is not possible, dynamic, and quasistatic relaxation paths below the glass transition are
identified via ex situ ultrasonic measurements following each heat treatment. The dynamic
relaxation paths are associated with hopping between nonequilibrium potential energy states of the
glass, while the quasistatic relaxation path is associated with reversible β-relaxation events toward
quasiequilibrium states. These quasiequilibrium states are identified with secondary potential energy
minima that exist within the inherent energy minimum of the glass, thereby supporting the concept
of the sub-basin/metabasin organization of the potential-energy landscape
Amorphous thin film growth: theory compared with experiment
Experimental results on amorphous ZrAlCu thin film growth and the dynamics of
the surface morphology as predicted from a minimal nonlinear stochastic
deposition equation are analysed and compared. Key points of this study are (i)
an estimation procedure for coefficients entering into the growth equation and
(ii) a detailed analysis and interpretation of the time evolution of the
correlation length and the surface roughness. The results corroborate the
usefulness of the deposition equation as a tool for studying amorphous growth
processes.Comment: 7 pages including 5 figure
Fundamental Link between β Relaxation, Excess Wings, and Cage-Breaking in Metallic Glasses
In glassy materials, the Johari–Goldstein secondary (β) relaxation is crucial to many properties as it is directly related to local atomic motions. However, a long-standing puzzle remains elusive: why some glasses exhibit β relaxations as pronounced peaks while others present as unobvious excess wings? Using microsecond atomistic simulation of two model metallic glasses (MGs), we demonstrate that such a difference is associated with the number of string-like collective atomic jumps. Relative to that of excess wings, we find that MGs having pronounced β relaxations contain larger numbers of such jumps. Structurally, they are promoted by the higher tendency of cage-breaking events of their neighbors. Our results provide atomistic insights for different signatures of the β relaxation that could be helpful for understanding the low-temperature dynamics and properties of MGs
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