Competition of glass and crystal: phase-field model

TL;DR

This paper introduces a phase-field model combining phase transition and gauge-field theories to describe glass-crystal competition during solidification, capturing nucleation and amorphization phenomena.

Contribution

It presents a novel self-consistent stochastic phase-field model integrating glass transition theory for the first time.

Findings

Model qualitatively reproduces glass-crystal competition during quenching.

Nucleation occurs via fluctuations at slow cooling and low undercooling.

Higher cooling rates favor amorphization.

Abstract

The phase-field model for the description of the solidification processes with the glass-crystal competition is suggested. The model combines the first-order phase transition model in the phase-field formalism and gauge-field theory of glass transition. We present a self-consistent system of stochastic motion equations for unconserved order parameters describing the crystal-like short-range ordering and vitrification. It is shown, that the model qualitatively describes the glass-crystal competition during quenching with finite cooling speed. The nucleation of the crystalline phase at slow cooling speeds and low undercoolings proceeds by a fluctuation mechanism. The model demonstrates the tendency to amorphization with the increase of its cooling rate.