We combine non-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging and AFM indentation in ultra-high vacuum to quantitatively and reproducibly determine the hardness and deformation mechanisms of Pt(111) and a Pt57.5Cu14.7Ni5.3P22.5 metallic glass with unprecedented spatial resolution. Our results on plastic deformation mechanisms of crystalline Pt(111) are consistent with the discrete mechanisms est...

The ideal elastic limit is the upper bound to the stress and elastic strain a material can withstand. This intrinsic property has been widely studied for crystalline metals, both theoretically and experimentally. For metallic glasses, however, the ideal elastic limit remains poorly characterized and understood. Here we show that the elastic strain limit and the corresponding strength of submicr...

The lack of new functional applications for metallic glasses hampers further development of these fascinating materials. In this letter, we report for the first time that the MgZn-based metallic glass powders have excellent functional ability in degrading azo dyes which are typical organic water pollutants. Their azo dye degradation efficiency is about 1000 times higher than that of commercial ...

The atomic-level structures of liquids and glasses are similar, obscuring any structural basis for the glass transition. To delineate structural differences between them, we characterized the atomic structures using the integrated radial distribution functions (RDF) from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for several metallic liquids and glasses: Cu46Zr54, Ni80Al20, Ni33.3Zr66.7, and Pd82Si18....

Metallic glass-reinforced metal matrix composites are an emerging class of composite materials. The metallic nature and the high mechanical strength of the reinforcing phase offers unique possibilities for improving the engineering performance of composites. Understanding the structure at the amorphous/crystalline interfaces and the deformation behavior of these composites is of vital importanc...

The structural description of disordered systems has been a longstanding challenge in physical science. We propose an atomic cluster alignment method to reveal the development of three-dimensional topological ordering in a metallic liquid as it undercools to form a glass. By analyzing molecular dynamic (MD) simulation trajectories of a Cu(64.5)Zr(35.5) alloy, we show that medium-range order (MR...

In this work we study the influence of atomic packing efficiency on glass-forming ability of bulk (defined as 3-dimentional massive glassy articles with a size of not less than 1 mm in any dimension) metallic glasses by the analysis of a database of ternary and quaternary bulk metallic glasses. An extensive dataset on the composition and stability (critical thickness, glass-transition temperatu...

Metallic glasses are known for their outstanding mechanical strength. However, the microscopic mechanism of failure in metallic glasses is not well-understood. In this article we discuss elastic, anelastic and plastic behaviors of metallic glasses from the atomistic point of view, based upon recent results by simulations and experiments. Strong structural disorder affects all properties of meta...