On gauge freedom and cooperative self organization in glassy As$_2$Se$_3$

TL;DR

This paper explores how gauge freedom influences the self-organization process in glassy As₂Se₃, revealing that gauge choices affect the emergence of key structural quantities and relate to observed glassy dynamics.

Contribution

It demonstrates the role of gauge freedom in the cooperative self-organization of structural quantities in glass transition, linking gauge choices to observed relaxation behaviors.

Findings

Gauge freedom affects the convergence of bond angle fluctuation quantities.

The choice of gauge leads to a stretched exponential relaxation pattern.

Gauge considerations are fundamental in understanding glassy self-organization.

Abstract

The gauge principle as applied in field theories for particle physics recognizes redundant degrees of freedom. Some time ago this author introduced a frustration based locally preferred structure (LPS) model of the glass transition. Here we show that gauge freedom plays an essential role in the self organized emergence of two temperature dependent quantities , which connect the time dependence of the bond angle fluctuations as a given LPS approaches the glass temperature. We show that as a choice of gauge these quantities cooperatively converge as , which is equivalent to the stretched exponential power observed in structural glasses. We therefore posit that gauge freedom plays a deeper role in the self-organization of this non-equilibrium system.