Pedersen Ulf R, Douglass Ian, Harrowell Peter
Glass and Time, IMFUFA, Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, P.O. Box 260, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
J Chem Phys. 2021 Feb 7;154(5):054503. doi: 10.1063/5.0033206.
Using computer simulations, we establish that the structure of a supercooled binary atomic liquid mixture consists of common neighbor structures similar to those found in the equilibrium crystal phase, a Laves structure. Despite the large accumulation of the crystal-like structure, we establish that the supercooled liquid represents a true metastable liquid and that liquid can "borrow" the crystal structure without being destabilized. We consider whether this feature might be the origin of all instances of liquids with a strongly favored local structure.
