An atomic mechanism for the boson peak in metallic glasses

Abstract

The boson peak in metallic glasses is modelled in terms of local structural shear rearrangements. Using Eshelby's solution of the corresponding elasticity theory problem, one can calculate the saddle point energy of such a structural rearrangement. The neighborhood of the saddle point gives rise to soft resonant vibrational modes. One can calculate their density, their kinetic energy, their fourth-order potential term and their coupling to longitudinal and transverse sound waves.