In-situ triggering and recording the liquid-liquid transition of metallic glass formers

Liquid-liquid transitions (LLTs) are a fascinating process where one liquid transforms into another via a first-order transition. In metallic liquids, this usually occurs in the ultra-viscous supercooled state and is accompanied by an abnormal exothermic calorimetry signal and important structural changes at the medium and short range order. Here, we propose an innovative approach which combines XRD and sensor-based flash nanocalorimetry to in-situ initiate and capture the whole process accompanying the LLT of Pd-Ni-P glass formers. By isolating the LLT from crystallization using rapid heating/cooling rates, we can directly connect its kinetics, reversibility, and first-order nature by combining the thermal response with the structural changes occurring at the different relevant length scales.