Structural heterogeneity and deformation rheology in metallic glasses

The atomic structure and associated deformation behavior of metallic glasses (MGs) have been long standing issues. Although recent computational/experimental results indicate that the structure of MGs is heterogeneous at the nano scale, the fundamental knowledge of the atomic basis for such structural heterogeneity and its impact on the overall properties of MGs is still lacking. We reviewed recent research on unraveling the structure heterogeneity in MGs, with emphases on the use of dynamic atomic force microscopy, the characterization of glass anelasticity by nanoindentation, and the establishment of numerous correlations with structural heterogeneity.