Effect of Atomic Structures and Clusters on Deformation Behaviors in the Binary Zr50Cu50 Amorphous System

The deformation micromechanism of Zr50Cu50 bulk metallic glasses under compress loading is studied by means of molecular dynamics. The modified self part of the Van Hove function is used to evaluate the transport properties of clusters in deformation behaviors. It is found that the instable clusters are restricted by the ‘backbone’, a kind of three dimensional network structure formed by close-pack clusters. Local shear transformation zone (STZ) is initially formed in these instable clusters, merge with each other and generate eventually a whole STZ, which penetrates the glasses matrix when the backbone is destroyed with increasing loading.