title: Probing stochastic nano-scale inelastic events in stressed amorphous metal.
abstract: One fundamental yet longstanding issue in materials science is how local inelasticity arises within an amorphous structure before yielding occurs. Although many possible scenarios were postulated or predicted by theories and simulations,however, direct experimental evidence has been lacking today due to the lack of a sensitive way to detect nano-scale inelasticity. Through the carefully designed microcompression method as coupled with the state-of-art nano-scale electric resistance measurement, we here unfold a stochastic inelastic deformation process in a Zr-based metallic glass, which takes place via the recurrence of two types of short-lived inelastic events causing structural damage and recovery, respectively, prior to yielding. Our current findings reveal that these stochastic events not only self-organize into sub-critical events due to elastic coupling, but also compete with each other in a way that enables the whole amorphous structure to self-heal as well as to sustain local damage.
authors.affiliation: Centre for advanced structural materials, Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon TongKowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Centre for advanced structural materials, Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon TongKowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
authors.forename: X L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Centre for advanced structural materials, Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon TongKowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Centre for advanced structural materials, Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon TongKowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Centre for advanced structural materials, Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon TongKowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Centre for advanced structural materials, Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon TongKowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Centre for advanced structural materials, Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon TongKowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Liu