Connection between vibrational dynamics and topological order in simple glasses - art. no. 184301

We compare vibrational dynamics in two structurally distinct. simple monato mic model glasses simulated by molecular dynamics: the Lennard-Jones glass with an fcc-related structure and a glass with predominantly icosahedral sh ort-range order. The former, characterized by a single local quasiperiodici ty, supports only modes with acoustic behavior. In the latter, the presence of optic modes and two incommensurate length scales is observed. This patt ern of vibrational dynamics is shown to be closely related to that of a Fra nk-Kasper crystal having the same local topological order.