We have discovered a solid, apparently amorphous phase of triphenyl phosphite to which the supercooled liquid converts, a phase distinct from both the glass and the crystal. To date, this is the clearest and best identified case of a first-order transition from a liquid to another apparently amorphous condensed phase. We discuss this phenomenon in terms of a recently formulated theory of superc...

It has been suggested that high-density amorphous (HDA) ice is a structurally arrested form of high-density liquid (HDL) water, while low-density amorphous ice is a structurally arrested form of low-density liquid (LDL) water. Recent experiments and simulations have been interpreted to support the possibility of a second distinct high-density structural state, named very high-density amorphous ...

The icosahedral quasicrystalline, amorphous plus crystalline and glassy phases were formed in Ti40Zr20Hf20(3d-LTM)20 alloys (3d-LTM=3d late transition metals Fe, Co and Ni). The icosahedral phase formed in the melt-spun Ti40Zr20Hf20Fe20 alloy is metastable and the average size of the quasicrystalline icosahedral particles precipitated in the amorphous matrix is 5 nm. The metastable icosahedral ...

We calculate the phase diagram of amorphous solid water by performing molecular dynamics simulations using the extended simple point charge (SPC/E) model. Our simulations follow different paths in the phase diagram: isothermal compression/decompression, isochoric cooling/heating, and isobaric cooling/heating. We are able to identify low-density amorphous (LDA), high-density amorphous (HDA), and...

Amorphous Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) alloy, upon heating crystallize to a metastable NaCl structure around 150°C and then to a stable hexagonal structure at high temperatures (≥250°C). It has been generally understood that the phase change takes place between amorphous and the metastable NaCl structure and not between the amorphous and the stable hexagonal phase. In the present work, it is observed that t...

Zr80Pt20 alloys may form meta-stable quasicrystals either during devifxification of an amorphous phase or directly upon cooling from a liquid depending on processing conditions. To date, little attention has been given to the role of oxygen on the glass formation or devitrification behavior of Zr-Pt and similar alloys. This study reveals that oxygen content during melt spinning indeed strongly ...

Classical steady-state nucleation theory is applied to Co-rich Fe,Co-based alloys to provide a rationale for experimental observations during the nanocrystallization of Co-rich (Co,Fe)89Zr7B4 and (Co,Fe)88Zr7B4Cu1 amorphous precursors. The amorphous precursor free energy is estimated using density functional theory. This simple theory suggests: (i) strain or interface energy effects could expla...

Among numerous active electrode materials, nickel hydroxide is a promising electrode in electrochemical capacitors. Nickel hydroxide research has thus far focused on the crystalline rather than the amorphous phase, despite the impressive electrochemical properties of the latter, which includes an improved electrochemical efficiency due to disorder. Here we demonstrate high-performance electroch...

Amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide (a-SiCx:H) films were deposited onto Si substrates by using the decomposition reaction of tetramethylsilane with the microwave discharged products of Ar. The contamination of H2O molecules was avoided by passing the starting materials through a desiccant (P2O5). A negative bias voltage (�VRF = 0-100 V) was applied to the substrate by using an external radi...

Complex tetrahedral structures form good models for amorphous Group IV and HI-V semiconductors. With a view of working towards examining non-crystalline materials, the structural, electronic and vibrational properties of complex tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors are investigated by various molecular dynamics techniques. First principles quantum mechanical molecular dynamics calculations are p...