Inelastic x-ray scattering reveals the ergodic to nonergodic transition of salol, a liquid with local order

TL;DR

This study uses inelastic x-ray scattering to investigate the high-frequency dynamics of salol across its glass transition, revealing an ergodic to nonergodic transition consistent with mode-coupling theory predictions.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence supporting mode-coupling theory in a liquid with local order, demonstrating the ergodic to nonergodic transition in salol.

Findings

Identification of a cusp singularity in the non-ergodicity parameter.

Q dependence of the non-ergodicity parameter matches static structure factor.

Supports mode-coupling theory in liquids with local order.

Abstract

We have studied the high-frequency dynamics of salol by inelastic x-ray scattering over a wide temperature range between 50 and 450 K, across the glass transition. We find that salol efficiently realizes the mechanism of dynamical arrest described by the mode-coupling theory, as manifested by a cusp singularity in the behaviour of the non-ergodicity parameter and a $Q$ dependence of the critical non-ergodicity parameter that is in phase with the static structure factor. These results confront positively the mode-coupling theory with liquids with local order.