Intrinsic Nanoscale Phase Seperation of bulk As2S3 Glass

Abstract

Raman scattering on bulk AsxS1-x glasses showes that vibrational modes of As4S4 monomer first appear near x=0.38, and their concentration increases precipitously with increasing x, suggesting that the stoichiometric glass (x=0.40) is intrinsically phase seperated into small As-rich(As4S4) and large S-righ clusters. Support for the Raman-active vibrational modes of the orpiment-like and realgar-like nanophases is provided by ab-initio density functional theory calculations on appropriate clusters. Nanoscale phase seperation provides a basis for understanding the global maximum in the glass transition temperature Tg near x=0.40, and the departure from Arrhenius temperature activation of As2S3 melt viscosities.