The design of ductile heterogeneous metallic glasses (MGs) with enhanced deformability by purposely controlling the shear-band dynamics via modulation of the atomic-scale structures and local stress states remains a significant challenge. Here, we correlate the changes in the local atomic structure when cooling to cryogenic temperature with the observed improved shear stability. The enhanced atomic-level structural and elastic heterogeneities related to the nonaffine thermal contraction of the short-range order (SRO) and medium-range order (MRO) change the characteristics of the activation process of the shear transformation zones (STZs). The experimental observations corroborated by Eshelby inclusion analysis and molecular dynamics simulations disclose the correlation between the structural fluctuations and the change in the stress field around the STZ. The variations in the inclination axes of the STZs alter their percolation mechanism, affect the shear-band dynamics and kinetics, and consequently delay shear failure. These results expand the understanding of the correlation between the atomic-level structure and elementary plastic events in monolithic MGs and thereby pave the way for the design of new ductile metallic alloys.

Indented metallic glasses at the nanoscale deform via strain bursts. Conventional continuum descriptions are not appropriate for such highly stochastic, intermittent deformations. In this study, after a statistical analysis of strain bursts in five metallic glasses, the dependence of the cut-off of the strain burst size on deformation units and loading rate is established. For soft metallic glasses with smaller deformation units, cut-off of the strain burst size truncates the scale-free behavior at larger strain burst sizes. For hard metallic glasses, scale-free behavior occurs in a wide range of strain burst sizes.

The plasticity of metallic glasses depends largely on the atomic-scale structure. However, the details of the atomic-scale structure, which are responsible for their properties, remain to be clarified. In this study, in-situ high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction and strain-rate jump compression tests at different cryogenic temperatures were carried out. We show that the activation volume of flow units linearly depends on temperature in the non-serrated flow regime. A plausible atomic deformation mechanism is proposed, considering that the activated flow units mediating the plastic flow originate from the medium-range order and transit to the short-range order with decreasing temperature. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT IMPACT STATEMENT An atomic deformation mechanism in metallic glasses is proposed. Activated flow units mediating the plastic flow originate from the medium-range order and transit to the short-range order with decreasing temperature.