On the microstructure of the Cu65Zr35 and Cu35Zr65 metallic glasses

We report on the microstructure of Cu65Zr35 and Cu35Zr65 metallic glasses (MGs). We found that the systems consist of small touching and/or interpenetrating icosahedral-like clusters that obey a simple rule, which is dictated from the system’s composition, eventually yielding a microstructure of polyicosahedral clusters that follow a specific sequence of magic numbers. The approach permits the prediction of the basic MG microstructure and may thus be of use for the experimental data interpretation and the design of new MGs.