TY - JOUR

T1 - From elastic excitations to macroscopic plasticity in metallic glasses

AU - Şopu, D.

AU - Yuan, X.

AU - Moitzi, F.

AU - Spieckermann, F.

AU - Bian, X.

AU - Eckert, J.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors

PY - 2021/3

Y1 - 2021/3

N2 - Shear transformation zone (STZ) remains the fundamental unit to explain plastic flow in metallic glasses (MGs). Although STZs have been known and characterized for decades now the morphological and dynamical characteristics of STZs are not fully understood yet. Here, simulating athermal quasistatic shearing processes, the atomic-level mechanisms underlying elastic and plastic deformation in MGs are disclosed. Given the highly heterogeneous nature of glassy materials and the related rugged energy landscape the activation of STZs is observed from an early level of elastic deformation until the final shearing stage. The STZs identified within the elastic and plastic ranges have similar fingerprints but different magnitude and dynamics. Long-range overlapping STZ fields constrain atomic rearrangements and limit quantifying structure-dynamics correlations that explains the difficulty in establishing an ideal structure-property relationships for MGs.

AB - Shear transformation zone (STZ) remains the fundamental unit to explain plastic flow in metallic glasses (MGs). Although STZs have been known and characterized for decades now the morphological and dynamical characteristics of STZs are not fully understood yet. Here, simulating athermal quasistatic shearing processes, the atomic-level mechanisms underlying elastic and plastic deformation in MGs are disclosed. Given the highly heterogeneous nature of glassy materials and the related rugged energy landscape the activation of STZs is observed from an early level of elastic deformation until the final shearing stage. The STZs identified within the elastic and plastic ranges have similar fingerprints but different magnitude and dynamics. Long-range overlapping STZ fields constrain atomic rearrangements and limit quantifying structure-dynamics correlations that explains the difficulty in establishing an ideal structure-property relationships for MGs.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100396878&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.apmt.2021.100958

DO - 10.1016/j.apmt.2021.100958

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85100396878

VL - 22.2021

JO - Applied materials today

JF - Applied materials today

SN - 2352-9407

IS - March

M1 - 100958

ER -