Intermediate-range order in silica glass examined by experimental and virtual angstrom-beam electron diffraction

Abstract

Intermediate-range order in glasses is essential for understanding their structural features but remains elusive due to a lack of periodicity. We review recent advances using experimental and virtual angstrom-beam electron diffraction methods to directly probe local atomic configurations. Our approach reveals pseudo-periodic arrangements of columnar structures that give rise to the first sharp diffraction peak, linking reciprocal-space features to underlying real-space structures. In addition, our recent data obtained from molecular dynamics simulations support and extend our previous findings. The importance of viewing direction and the origin of the shape of the FSDP are also discussed.