Abstract
Using inelastic neutron scattering and molecular dynamics simulations on a model Zr-Cu-Al metallic glass, we show that transverse phonons persist well into the high-frequency regime, and can be detected at large momentum transfer. Furthermore, the apparent peak width of the transverse phonons was found to follow the static structure factor. The one-to-one correspondence, which was demonstrated for both Zr-Cu-Al metallic glass and a three-dimensional Lennard-Jones model glass, suggests a universal correlation between the phonon dynamics and the underlying disordered structure. This remarkable correlation, not found for longitudinal phonons, underscores the key role that transverse phonons hold for understanding the structure-dynamics relationship in disordered materials.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 225902 |
| Journal | Physical Review Letters |
| Volume | 124 |
| Issue number | 22 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 5 2020 |
Funding
This work was supported by the Croucher Foundation (CityU Project No. 9500034) and Research Grant Council of Hong Kong SAR (JLFS/P-102/18). X. L. W. acknowledges support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (No. 51571170) and the National Key R&D Program by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of China (No. 2016YFA0401501). S. L. acknowledges support by the National NSFC (No. 51871120) and the National Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20171425). M. Z. L. acknowledges support by the National NSFC (No. 51631003) and MOST 973 Program (No. 2015CB856800). F. W. W. acknowledges support by the National NSFC (No. 11675255) and the National Key R&D Program by MOST of China (No. 2016YFA0401503). The neutron scattering experiments were carried out at the Spallation Neutron Source, which is sponsored by the Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with Oak Ridge National Laboratory.