Linking dynamical heterogeneity to static amorphous order

Abstract

Glass-forming liquids grow dramatically sluggish upon cooling. This slowdown has long been thought to be accompanied by a growing correlation length. Characteristic dynamical and static length scales, however, have been observed to grow at different rates, which perplexes the relationship between the two and with the slowdown. Here, we show the existence of a direct link between dynamical sluggishness and static point-to-set correlations, holding at the local level as we probe different environments within a liquid. This link, which is stronger and more general than that observed with locally preferred structures, suggests the existence of an intimate relationship between structure and dynamics in a broader range of glass-forming liquids than previously thought.