Percolation‐Driven β ‐Relaxation Enables Resonant Acceleration of Crystallization in Amorphous Phase‐Change Materials

Advanced Materials, pp. e75151

Abstract

ABSTRACT Amorphous phase‐change materials enable fast and reversible switching in optical and electronic devices, yet crystallization kinetics are still controlled primarily through empirical thermal protocols. Here we identify a microscopic picture governing crystallization in the prototypical phase‐change material Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 , in which crystallization pathways are organized by the percolation of mobile atomic networks associated with β ‐relaxation. We show that this percolation transition distinguishes the dominance of diffusion‐driven and diffusionless nucleation and growth during crystallization processes. We further demonstrate that frequency‐selected ultrasonic excitation, applied in conjunction with heating, accelerates crystallization by enhancing percolation‐mediated atomic dynamics. This acceleration is maximized near the β ‐relaxation frequency, consistent with resonant excitation of mobile atoms. Our results establish a direct link between glassy relaxation, atomic‐scale percolation, and crystallization, and introduce a new route to modulating phase‐change kinetics through targeted excitation of fundamental glassy dynamics.

Authors 12

1. Yu-Yao Liu

   Huazhong University of Science and Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center and School of Physics Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan Hubei China

2. Liang Gao

   Huazhong University of Science and Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center and School of Physics Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan Hubei China

3. Jun-Ying Jiang

   Huazhong University of Science and Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center and School of Physics Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan Hubei China

4. Yiming Zhou Aachen Institute of Physics (IA)

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Physics (IA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

5. Jan Luebben Aachen Institut für Werkstoffe der Elektrotechnik II

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Werkstoffe der Elektrotechnik II (IWE II) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

6. Di Zhao Aachen Institute of Physics (IA)

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Physics (IA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

7. Xiaoling Lu Aachen Institut für Werkstoffe der Elektrotechnik I (IWEI)

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Werkstoffe der Elektrotechnik I (IWEI) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

8. Maximilian J. Müller Aachen Institute of Physics (IA)

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Physics (IA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

9. U. Böttger Aachen Institut für Werkstoffe der Elektrotechnik II

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Werkstoffe der Elektrotechnik II (IWE II) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

10. Jiangjing Wang corresponding Aachen Institute of Physics (IA)

    RWTH Aachen University · Xi'an Jiaotong University

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Alloy Innovation and Design (CAID) State Key Laboratory For Mechanical Behavior of Materials Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an China

    Institute of Physics (IA) RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

11. Hai-Bin Yu corresponding

    Huazhong University of Science and Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center and School of Physics Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan Hubei China

12. Shuai Wei corresponding

    Aarhus University

    Affiliation as printed

    CENSEMAT Center for Sustainable Energy Materials Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark

    Department of Chemistry Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark