Fragile-to-strong glass transition in two-dimensional vortex liquids

The fragile-to-strong glass transition is a fascinating phenomenon that still presents many theoretical and experimental challenges. A major one is how to tune the fragility of a glass-forming liquid. Here, we study a two-dimensional (2D) system composed of vortices in a superconducting film, which...

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Main Authors: I. Maccari, L. Benfatto, C. Castellani, J. Lorenzana, C. De Michele
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2025-02-01
Series:Physical Review Research
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013160
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author I. Maccari
L. Benfatto
C. Castellani
J. Lorenzana
C. De Michele
author_facet I. Maccari
L. Benfatto
C. Castellani
J. Lorenzana
C. De Michele
author_sort I. Maccari
collection DOAJ
description The fragile-to-strong glass transition is a fascinating phenomenon that still presents many theoretical and experimental challenges. A major one is how to tune the fragility of a glass-forming liquid. Here, we study a two-dimensional (2D) system composed of vortices in a superconducting film, which effectively behaves as a 2D glass-forming liquid. We show that the kinetic fragility in this system can be experimentally varied by tuning a single parameter: the external magnetic field H applied perpendicularly to the film. This conclusion is supported by the direct comparison between the analysis of experimental measurements in an amorphous MoGe superconducting film and Monte Carlo simulations in a disordered XY model, that captures the universality class of the two-step melting transition. We show that by increasing disorder strength, a fragile-to-strong transition is induced, in close similarity with the experimental findings in a magnetic field. Our numerical results shed light on the evolution of the dynamical heterogeneity from a fragile-to-strong glass, as due to the subtle interplay between caging effects arising from hexatic order and strong random pinning.
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spelling doaj-art-60fe451362a8412194342e0aa2fbfec72025-08-20T02:13:41ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Research2643-15642025-02-017101316010.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013160Fragile-to-strong glass transition in two-dimensional vortex liquidsI. MaccariL. BenfattoC. CastellaniJ. LorenzanaC. De MicheleThe fragile-to-strong glass transition is a fascinating phenomenon that still presents many theoretical and experimental challenges. A major one is how to tune the fragility of a glass-forming liquid. Here, we study a two-dimensional (2D) system composed of vortices in a superconducting film, which effectively behaves as a 2D glass-forming liquid. We show that the kinetic fragility in this system can be experimentally varied by tuning a single parameter: the external magnetic field H applied perpendicularly to the film. This conclusion is supported by the direct comparison between the analysis of experimental measurements in an amorphous MoGe superconducting film and Monte Carlo simulations in a disordered XY model, that captures the universality class of the two-step melting transition. We show that by increasing disorder strength, a fragile-to-strong transition is induced, in close similarity with the experimental findings in a magnetic field. Our numerical results shed light on the evolution of the dynamical heterogeneity from a fragile-to-strong glass, as due to the subtle interplay between caging effects arising from hexatic order and strong random pinning.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013160
spellingShingle I. Maccari
L. Benfatto
C. Castellani
J. Lorenzana
C. De Michele
Fragile-to-strong glass transition in two-dimensional vortex liquids
Physical Review Research
title Fragile-to-strong glass transition in two-dimensional vortex liquids
title_full Fragile-to-strong glass transition in two-dimensional vortex liquids
title_fullStr Fragile-to-strong glass transition in two-dimensional vortex liquids
title_full_unstemmed Fragile-to-strong glass transition in two-dimensional vortex liquids
title_short Fragile-to-strong glass transition in two-dimensional vortex liquids
title_sort fragile to strong glass transition in two dimensional vortex liquids
url http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013160
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AT lbenfatto fragiletostrongglasstransitionintwodimensionalvortexliquids
AT ccastellani fragiletostrongglasstransitionintwodimensionalvortexliquids
AT jlorenzana fragiletostrongglasstransitionintwodimensionalvortexliquids
AT cdemichele fragiletostrongglasstransitionintwodimensionalvortexliquids