Statistical structural mechanisms for shear localization in amorphous materials
Author：Shigenobu Ogata
Affiliation：Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka
Abstract：Shear localization is a prevalent phenomenon in amorphous materials undergoing plastic deformation, yet its underlying structural mechanism at the atomic scale remains elusive. Here we introduce a quantitative approach to correlate structural order and disorder with the degree of shear localization in amorphous materials. This approach relies on two fundamental physical parameters: the statistical structural order, derived from Shannon entropy of local Voronoi structures, and the localization susceptibility, characterized by spatial correlations in atomic-scale von Mises strain. Extensive atomistic simulations validate our approach and reveal a universal relationship between structural order and shear localization across a wide range of amorphous solids, each with distinct chemical compositions and thermal histories. We interpret the correlation between structural order and shear localization within a framework of shear banding as a mechanically-driven glass transition, governed by a structural collapse analogous to thermodynamic glass transitions on the potential energy landscape.
Affiliation：Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka
Abstract：Shear localization is a prevalent phenomenon in amorphous materials undergoing plastic deformation, yet its underlying structural mechanism at the atomic scale remains elusive. Here we introduce a quantitative approach to correlate structural order and disorder with the degree of shear localization in amorphous materials. This approach relies on two fundamental physical parameters: the statistical structural order, derived from Shannon entropy of local Voronoi structures, and the localization susceptibility, characterized by spatial correlations in atomic-scale von Mises strain. Extensive atomistic simulations validate our approach and reveal a universal relationship between structural order and shear localization across a wide range of amorphous solids, each with distinct chemical compositions and thermal histories. We interpret the correlation between structural order and shear localization within a framework of shear banding as a mechanically-driven glass transition, governed by a structural collapse analogous to thermodynamic glass transitions on the potential energy landscape.
Publication related to this research
（Journal paper）
- D. Wei, Y.-J. Wang, S. Ogata, "Statistical structural mechanisms for shear localization in amorphous materials", Acta Materialia, 298, 121385, 2025.
Posted : March 31,2026
