Atomic clusters triggering nucleation and solidification of the metallic glass melt

Abstract

The Zr41Ti14Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 (atomic percent, at. %) melts embedded in a flux of the dehydrated B2O3 were under cooled by the repeated treatment of melting. The maximum melt undercooling of ΔT = 145 K achieved for this melt corresponds to a comparatively large relative undercooling of 0.15 times the melting-point temperature of Tm∼ about 953 K(ΔT/Tm = 0.15). The solidification and nucleation behaviors of the Zr41Ti14Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 undercooled melts triggered by Ni, Ti, Cu, and Zr clusters introduced by sputtering these pure metal targets are studied. An anomalous solidification triggered by Zr-atomic clusters above the Zr41Ti14Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 melting temperature of 140 K is observed. The instability of a metallic-glass (MG) liquid near the thermodynamic critical temperature is present. The nucleation in the undercooled Zr41Ti14Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 is investigated by Monte Carlo simulations and analyzed by the classical nucleation theory. This letter reveals an effective research method on investigating the instability of a MG liquid near the thermodynamic critical temperature.