Breakdown of Nonlinear Elasticity in Stress-Controlled Thermal Amorphous Solids

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that in stress-controlled amorphous solids, the shear modulus remains well-defined while higher-order elastic moduli fluctuate unboundedly, suggesting stress-dependent shear modulus is more appropriate than nonlinear expansions.

Contribution

It extends previous findings to stress control, showing nonlinear elastic moduli in amorphous solids fluctuate unboundedly, impacting experimental stress-strain characterization.

Findings

Shear modulus exists under stress control.

Higher-order moduli exhibit unbounded fluctuations.

Stress-dependent shear modulus is recommended for experiments.

Abstract

In recent work it was clarified that amorphous solids under strain control do not possess nonlinear elastic theory in the sense that the shear modulus exists but nonlinear moduli exhibit sample to sample fluctuations that grow without bound with the system size. More relevant however for experiments are the conditions of stress control. In the present Communication we show that also under stress control the shear modulus exists but higher order moduli show unbounded sample to sample fluctuation. The unavoidable consequence is that the characterization of stress-strain curves in experiments should be done with a stress-dependent shear modulus rather than with nonlinear expansions.