Atomic-level structure and structure–property relationship in metallic glasses

The structure of metallic glasses (MGs) has been a long-standing mystery. On the one hand, MGs are amorphous materials with no long-range structural order; on the other hand, topological and chemical short-to-medium range order is expected to be pronounced in these alloys, due to their high atomic packing density and the varying chemical affinity between the constituent elements. The unique internal structure of MGs underlies their interesting properties, which render MGs potentially useful for various applications. While more and more glass-forming alloys have been developed in recent years, fundamental knowledge on the structural aspect of MGs remains seriously lacking. For example, how atoms pack on the short-to-medium range, how the structure differs in different MGs and changes with composition, temperature, and processing history, and more importantly, how the structure influences the properties of MGs, are still unresolved questions. In this paper, we review the tremendous efforts over the past 50 years devoted to unraveling the atomic-level structure of MGs and the structural origin of their unique behaviors. Emphasis will be placed on the progress made in recent years, including advances in structural characterization and analysis of prototypical MGs, general structural models and fundamental principles, and the correlations of thermodynamic, kinetic, and mechanical properties with the MG structures. Some widely observed property–property correlations in MGs are also examined from the structural perspective. The insights summarized are shown to shed light on many intriguing behaviors of the MG-forming alloys and expected to impact the development of MGs. Outstanding questions in this important research area will also be outlined.