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Glass fragility and atomic ordering on the intermediate and extended range
Philip S Salmon1, Adrian C Barnes, Richard A Martin
1Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
Physical Review Letters
|June 29, 2006
Summary
The study reveals how atomic structure influences glass fragility in germania (GeO2). Extended-range atomic ordering becomes more dominant as glass fragility increases, impacting physical properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Solid State Chemistry
Background:
- Glass fragility is a key parameter characterizing the physical properties of glass-forming systems.
- Understanding the atomic-scale structure is crucial for explaining glass behavior.
- Germania (GeO2) serves as a model system for studying strong glass formers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between glass fragility and atomic-scale structure.
- To measure topological and chemical ordering in germania using neutron diffraction.
- To elucidate the role of different length scales in glass ordering.
Main Methods:
- Neutron diffraction was employed to probe atomic ordering.
- Analysis focused on topological and chemical ordering in germania (GeO2).
- Comparison with other tetrahedral network-forming glasses.
Main Results:
- Atomic ordering at intermediate and extended ranges was characterized.
- The interplay between two length scales governs ordering beyond nearest neighbors.
- Extended-range ordering becomes increasingly dominant with rising glass fragility.
Conclusions:
- Glass fragility is directly linked to the dominance of extended-range atomic ordering.
- The findings provide insights into the structural basis of glass properties.
- This work advances the understanding of structure-property relationships in amorphous materials.