On the overlap between configurations in glassy liquids

Area of Science:

• Condensed matter physics
• Statistical mechanics
• Materials science

Background:

• Liquid configuration overlap is key to understanding the glass transition in three-dimensional systems.
• In liquids, overlap similarity requires a tolerance (a/σ) related to inter-particle distance.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate how varying the overlap tolerance (a/σ) impacts overlap fluctuations and phase diagrams.
• Determine the effect of tolerance on dynamical, thermodynamic, and critical point transitions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic variation of overlap tolerance (a/σ).
• Application of liquid-state theory and hypernetted-chain approximation.
• Computer simulations of a three-dimensional glass-former.

Main Results:

• Glass transition locations are independent of the overlap tolerance a/σ.
• The critical point for low- to high-overlap phase transitions nontrivially depends on a/σ.
• A specific range of a/σ maximizes the critical point temperature, facilitating simulations.

Conclusions:

• Overlap tolerance is a crucial parameter influencing critical phenomena in glass-forming liquids.
• Optimizing tolerance can shift critical points to experimentally accessible, low-viscosity liquid regimes.
• Findings aid in understanding glass transitions and improving computational studies.