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Cooling Rate Dependent Ellipsometry Measurements to Determine the Dynamics of Thin Glassy Films
Published on: January 26, 2016
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Glassy Dynamics in Disordered Electronic Systems Reveal Striking Thermal Memory Effects
A Eisenbach1, T Havdala1, J Delahaye2
1The Department of Physics, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel.
Physical Review Letters
|September 24, 2016
Summary
Electron glasses exhibit a unique temperature memory. Their conductance dynamics depend on past maximum temperatures, revealing a novel form of glassy memory beyond typical aging effects.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Glassy systems exhibit aging, where relaxation dynamics depend on excitation history.
- Understanding memory effects in glasses is crucial for characterizing their complex behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a novel form of memory in electron glasses.
- To determine if electron glasses remember their highest exposure temperature.
Main Methods:
- Studying conductance relaxation dynamics of electron glasses.
- Fabricating electron glasses at low temperatures.
- Varying ambient measurement temperature and maximum system exposure temperature.
Main Results:
- Electron glass dynamics depend on both measurement temperature and prior maximum temperature.
- The system exhibits a distinct memory of its highest temperature exposure.
- This memory effect is linked to energy barriers and local minima in configuration space.
Conclusions:
- Electron glasses possess a unique temperature memory, distinct from standard aging.
- This high-temperature memory may be a general characteristic of the glass state.
- The findings offer new insights into the fundamental properties of glassy systems.
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