Direct observation of the atomic density fluctuation originating from the first sharp diffraction peak in SiO2 glass

Akihiko Hirata; Shuya Sato; Motoki Shiga; Yohei Onodera; Koji Kimoto; Shinji Kohara

doi:10.1038/s41427-024-00544-w

Article Direct observation of the atomic density fluctuation originating from the first sharp diffraction peak in SiO2 glass

Akihiko Hirata ; Shuya Sato ; Motoki Shiga ; Yohei Onodera ; Koji Kimoto ; Shinji Kohara

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Akihiko Hirata, Shuya Sato, Motoki Shiga, Yohei Onodera, Koji Kimoto, Shinji Kohara. Direct observation of the atomic density fluctuation originating from the first sharp diffraction peak in SiO2 glass. NPG Asia Materials. 2024, 16 (), 25. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41427-024-00544-w

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The intermediate-range order of the covalently bonded glasses has been extensively discussed in terms of their diffraction peaks observed at low scattering angles called the first sharp diffraction peak (FSDP). Although atomic density fluctuations at the scale arising from the quasilattice planes are a critical scientific target, their direct experimental observation is still lacking. Here, we report the direct observation of atomic density fluctuations in silica glass by energy-filtered angstrom-beam electron diffraction. The correspondence between the local electron diffraction patterns of FSDPs and the atomic configurations constructed from X-ray and neutron diffraction reveals that the local atomic density fluctuations arise from the quasi-periodic alternating arrangements of columnar chain-like atomic configurations and interstitial tubular voids, as in crystals. We also discovered the longer-range fluctuations associated with the shoulder of the FSDP observed at the low Q side. The hierarchical fluctuations inherent in materials are helpful in elucidating their properties and performance.

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