How a Supercooled Liquid Borrows Structure from the Crystal

TL;DR

This study uses computer simulations to show that supercooled liquids can incorporate crystal-like structures without losing their liquid state, suggesting a potential universal feature of liquids with favored local structures.

Contribution

It demonstrates that supercooled liquids can borrow crystal structure from the crystal phase while remaining metastable, a novel insight into liquid structure.

Findings

Supercooled liquids contain crystal-like common neighbour structures.

Despite crystal-like structures, the liquid remains metastable.

Liquid borrows structure without destabilization.

Abstract

Using computer simulations, we establish that the structure of a supercooled binary atomic liquid mixture consists of common neighbour structures similar to those found in the equilibrium crystal phase, a Laves structure. Despite the large accumulation of crystal-like structure, we establish that the supercooled liquid represents a true metastable liquid and that liquid can borrow crystal structure without being destabilized. We consider whether this feature might be the origin of all instances of liquids of a strongly favoured local structure.