Emergence and percolation of rigid domains during colloidal glass transition

TL;DR

This study investigates how rigid domains form and percolate during the colloidal glass transition, revealing that spatial constraints drive dynamical heterogeneities rather than amorphous structure geometry.

Contribution

It demonstrates that spatial constraints, rather than structural geometry, are fundamental in the emergence of glassy dynamics and percolation of rigid domains in colloidal systems.

Findings

Rigid domains percolate near the glass transition.

Correlations between constraints and dynamics emerge within the Lindemann criterion.

Spatial constraints are key to understanding disordered material behavior.

Abstract

Using video microscopy, we measure local spatial constraints in disordered binary colloidal samples, ranging from dilute fluids to jammed glasses, and probe their spatial and temporal correlations to local dynamics during the glass transition. We observe the emergence of significant correlations between constraints and local dynamics within the Lindemann criterion, which coincides with the onset of glassy dynamics in supercooled liquids. Rigid domains in fluids are identified based on local constraints, and demonstrate a percolation transition near glass transition, accompanied by the emergence of dynamical heterogeneities. Our results show that the spatial constraints instead of the geometry of amorphous structures is the key that connects the complex spatial-temporal correlations in disordered materials.