Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: A free surface induces enhanced dynamics in glass formers. We study the dynamical enhancement of glassy films with a distinguishable-particle lattice model of glass free of elastic effects. We demonstrate that the thickness of the surface mobile layer depends on temperature differently under different definitions, although all are based on local structure relaxation rate. The rate can be fitted to a double exponential form with an exponential-of-power-law tail. Our approach and results exclude elasticity as the unique mechanism for the tail. Layer-resolved particle hopping rate, potentially a key measure for activated hopping, is also studied but it exhibits much shallower surface effects.
Source: The Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI: 10.1063/5.0271966
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4411366460