A transition of the deformation mode from heterogeneous, localized deformation to homogeneous deformation was observed in Zr₅₀Cu₄₀Al₁₀ bulk metallic glass (BMG) by giant straining using the high-pressure torsion (HPT) method. The transition is accompanied by a pronounced decrease in hardness and elastic modulus as measured by nanoindentation. Annealing of the deformed BMG resulted in the restoration of the localized deformation, hardness, and elastic modulus; thus, the transition is reversible. The observed reversible transition can be attributed to a change in the local atomic environment in the rejuvenated volume and the relaxed one.

The low temperature heat capacity of amorphous materials reveals a low-frequency enhancement (boson peak) of the vibrational density of states, as compared with the Debye law. By measuring the low-temperature heat capacity of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass relative to a crystalline reference state, we show that the heat capacity of the glass is strongly enhanced after severe plastic deformation by high-pressure torsion, while subsequent thermal annealing at elevated temperatures leads to a significant reduction. The detailed analysis of corresponding molecular dynamics simulations of an amorphous Zr-Cu glass shows that the change in heat capacity is primarily due to enhanced low-frequency modes within the shear band region.