Elastic Anomaly and Polyamorphic Transition in (La, Ce)-based Bulk Metallic Glass under Pressure

Pressure-induced polyamorphism in Ce-based metallic glass has attracted significant interest in condensed matter physics. In this paper, we discover that in association with the polyamorphism of La32Ce32Al16Ni5Cu15 bulk metallic glass, the acoustic velocities, measured up to 12.3 GPa using ultrasonic interferometry, exhibit velocity minima at 1.8 GPa for P wave and 3.2 GPa for S wave. The low and high density amorphous states are distinguished by their distinct pressure derivatives of the bulk and shear moduli. The elasticity, permanent densification, and polyamorphic transition are interpreted by the topological rearrangement of solute-centered clusters in medium-range order (MRO) mediated by the 4f electron delocalization of Ce under pressure. The precisely measured acoustic wave travel times which were used to derive the velocities and densities provided unprecedented data to document the evolution of the bulk and shear elastic moduli associated with a polyamorphic transition in La32Ce32Al16Ni5Cu15 bulk metallic glass and can shed new light on the mechanisms of polyamorphism and structural evolution in metallic glasses under pressure.