Intermittent cluster dynamics and temporal fractional diffusion in a bulk metallic glass

Birte Riechers, Amlan Das, Eric Dufresne, Peter M. Derlet () and Robert Maaß ()
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Birte Riechers: Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing (BAM)
Amlan Das: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Eric Dufresne: Argonne National Laboratory
Peter M. Derlet: Paul-Scherrer-Institute
Robert Maaß: Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing (BAM)

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Glassy solids evolve towards lower-energy structural states by physical aging. This can be characterized by structural relaxation times, the assessment of which is essential for understanding the glass’ time-dependent property changes. Conducted over short times, a continuous increase of relaxation times with time is seen, suggesting a time-dependent dissipative transport mechanism. By focusing on micro-structural rearrangements at the atomic-scale, we demonstrate the emergence of sub-diffusive anomalous transport and therefore temporal fractional diffusion in a metallic glass, which we track via coherent x-ray scattering conducted over more than 300,000 s. At the longest probed decorrelation times, a transition from classical stretched exponential to a power-law behavior occurs, which in concert with atomistic simulations reveals collective and intermittent atomic motion. Our observations give a physical basis for classical stretched exponential relaxation behavior, uncover a new power-law governed collective transport regime for metallic glasses at long and practically relevant time-scales, and demonstrate a rich and highly non-monotonous aging response in a glassy solid, thereby challenging the common framework of homogeneous aging and atomic scale diffusion.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50758-3

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