Changes in the atomic structure through glass transition observed by X-ray scattering

The glass transition involves a minor change in the internal energy, and yet the physical and mechanical properties of a glass change dramatically. In order to determine the evolution of the atomic structure through the glass transition, we employed in-situ synchrotron X-ray scattering measurements as a function of temperature on a model material: Zr–Cu–Al metallic glass. We found that the thermal expansion at the atomic level is smaller than the macroscopic thermal expansion, and significantly increases above the glass transition temperature. The observed changes in the pair-distribution function (PDF) are explained in terms of the fluctuations in the local atomic volume and their change through the glass transition.