A simple physical model of liquid-glass transition: intrinsic fluctuating interactions and random fields hidden in glass-forming liquids

TL;DR

This paper introduces a physical model for the liquid-glass transition based on fluctuating interactions and random fields, explaining vitrification behavior across different glass-forming liquids.

Contribution

It presents a novel model linking glass transition phenomena to spin system concepts like Griffiths and spin-glass phases, highlighting intrinsic fluctuating interactions and random fields.

Findings

Identification of two key temperatures T*_m and T_0 in glass transition.

Explanation of vitrification behavior from strong to fragile liquids.

Universal applicability to different glass-forming liquids.

Abstract

We propose that glass-forming liquids are intrinsically under the influences of both fluctuating interactions and random fields well-known in the field of spin systems. This is due to the frustration between the isotropic and anisotropic parts of effective intermolecular interactions. Our model indicates the existence of two key temperatures relevant to glass transition, the density ordering point T^*_m and the Vogel-Fulcher temperature T_0. Between T^*_m and T_0, a system has features similar to the `Griffiths phase', while below $T_0$ it has those peculiar to the `spin-glass phase'. This picture naturally and universally explains vitrification behavior from its strong to fragile limit.