Experimental assessment of structural differences between amorphous and amorphized matter

摘要

The atomic structure of amorphous matter as well as its relation to properties constitute key materials-science challenges of tomorrow. High-resolution transition-metal L-2,L-3 electron energy-loss near-edge structure spectroscopy in the transmission electron microscope at a barium titanium silicate glass and its amorphized counterpart, prepared by ion irradiation of a single crystal of identical composition, is shown to be capable of distinguishing different cation coordination. The introduced methodology is able to separate polyamorphous phases at nanometer spatial resolution and hence of greatest relevance for the experimental assessment of structural preconditions for sintering of ceramics and controlled devitrification of glasses.