First-principles simulations of glass-formers

Abstract

In this article we review results of computer simulation of glasses carried out using first principles approaches, notably density functional theory. We start with a brief introduction to this method and compare the pros and cons of this approach with the ones of simulations with classical potentials. This is followed by a discussion of simulation results of various glass-forming systems that have been obtained via ab initio simulations and that demonstrate the usefulness of this approach to understand the properties of glasses on the microscopic level.