Mapping the potential energy surface of crystalline materials is straightforward because atoms are arranged in a periodic lattice array. In contrast, for amorphous materials (also known as glassy materials), the absence of long-range periodic order results in highly complex chemical interactions among atoms in the disordered network. The energy landscape paradigm offers a convenient framework for interpreting these complex interactions1. A topographic view of the potential energy function, which depends on the spatial location of each atom, is shown in Fig. 1a. The energy landscape of glassy materials usually features multiple energy maxima and minima, and transitions from one local minimum to another occur spontaneously at finite temperatures. This physical aging effect can cause serious problems for practical applications. For example, the programming accuracy of memristive devices for neuromorphic in-memory computing can be seriously degraded2.

Link:Unravel the complexity | Nature Materials