Topics in the theory of amorphous materials

In this Colloquium, I describe some current frontiers in the physics of semiconducting amorphous materials and glasses, including a short, but self-contained discussion of techniques for creating computer models, among them the quench from the melt method, the Activation-Relaxation Technique, the de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The European physical journal. B, Condensed matter physics Condensed matter physics, 2009-03, Vol.68 (1), p.1-21
Main Author: Drabold, D. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Colloquium
Complex Systems
Condensed Matter Physics
Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties
Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties
Disordered solids
Electron states
Electronic structure of disordered solids
Exact sciences and technology
Fluid- and Aerodynamics
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Solid State Physics
Structural modeling: serial-addition models, computer simulation
Structure of solids and liquids
crystallography
Theories and models
localized states
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Summary:In this Colloquium, I describe some current frontiers in the physics of semiconducting amorphous materials and glasses, including a short, but self-contained discussion of techniques for creating computer models, among them the quench from the melt method, the Activation-Relaxation Technique, the decorate and relax method, and the experimentally constrained molecular relaxation scheme. A representative study of an interesting and important glass (amorphous GeSe 3 :Ag) is provided. This material is a fast-ion conductor and a serious candidate to replace current FLASH memory. Next, I discuss the effects of topological disorder on electronic states. By computing the decay of the density matrix in real space, and also computing well-localized Wannier functions, we close with a quantitative discussion of Kohn’s Principle of Nearsightedness in amorphous silicon.
ISSN:1434-6028
1434-6036
DOI:10.1140/epjb/e2009-00080-0