For the first time, scientists have mapped the structure of
a metallic glass on the atomic scale, bringing them closer to understanding
where the liquid ends and the solid begins in glassy materials.
A study led by Monash University researchers and published
in Physical Review Letters has used a newly developed technique on one of the
world’s highest-resolution electron microscopes to understand the structure of
a zirconium (Zr)-based metallic glass. The findings could help explain the
mystery of why glasses, or disordered solids form.