Soft-Mode Parameter as an Indicator for the Activation Energy Spectra in Metallic Glass

The activation energy (E_A) spectra of the potential energy landscape (PEL) provide a convenient perspective for interpreting complex phenomena in amorphous materials; however, the link between the E_A spectra and other physical properties in metallic glasses is still mysterious. By systematically probing the E_A spectra for numerous metallic glass samples with distinct local geometric ordering, which correspond to broad processing histories, we found that the shear moduli of the samples are strongly correlated with the arithmetic mean of the E_A spectra rather than with the local geometrical ordering. Furthermore, we studied the correlation of the obtained E_A spectra and various well-established physical parameters. The outcome of our research clearly demonstrates that the soft-mode parameter ψ and the E_A spectrum are correlated; therefore, this could be a good indicator of metallic glass properties and sheds important light on the structure-property relationship in metallic glass through the medium of the PEL.