Anomalous Elasticity and Emergent Dipole Screening in Three-Dimensional Amorphous Solids

TL;DR

This paper extends a screening theory for amorphous solids to three dimensions, predicting anomalous mechanical responses and emergent dipole formations similar to 2D systems, with implications for understanding amorphous material mechanics.

Contribution

It introduces a three-dimensional extension of the screening theory, revealing novel dipole screening phenomena in amorphous solids not previously observed in crystalline defect literature.

Findings

Prediction of anomalous mechanics in 3D amorphous solids

Identification of non-topological distributed dipoles

Connection to Kosterlitz-Thouless and Hexatic transitions

Abstract

In recent work, we developed a screening theory for describing the effect of plastic events in amorphous solids on its emergent mechanics. The suggested theory uncovered an anomalous mechanical response of amorphous solids where plastic events collectively induce distributed dipoles that are analogous to dislocations in crystalline solids. The theory was tested against various models of amorphous solids in two-dimensions, including frictional and friction-less granular media and numerical models of amorphous glass. Here we extend our theory to screening in three-dimensional amorphous solids and predict the existence of anomalous mechanics similar to the one observed in two-dimensional systems. We conclude by interpreting the mechanical response as the formation of non-topological distributed dipoles that have no analogue in the crystalline defects literature. Having in mind that the onset of dipole screening is reminiscent of Kosterlitz-Thouless and Hexatic transitions, the finding of dipole screening in three-dimensions is particularly novel.