Statistical Mechanical Model of Topological Fluctuations and the Intermediate Phase in Binary Phosphate Glasses

Glasses are topologically disordered materials with varying degrees of fluctuations in structure and topology. This study links statistical mechanics and topological constraint theory to quantify the degree of topological fluctuations in binary phosphate glasses. Because fluctuations are a potential mechanism enabling self-organization, we investigated the ability of phosphate glasses to adapt their topology to mitigate localized stresses, e.g., in the formation of a stress-free intermediate phase. Results revealed the dependency of both glass composition and temperature in governing the ability of a glass network to relax localized stresses and achieve an ideal, isostatic state; also, the possibility of a second intermediate phase at higher modifier content was found.