Link to Densify: Topological Transitions and Origin of Hysteresis During the (De)Compression of Amorphous Ices

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Main Authors: Fosado, Yair Augusto Gutiérrez, Michieletto, Davide, Martelli, Fausto
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Fosado, Yair Augusto Gutiérrez
Michieletto, Davide
Martelli, Fausto
author_facet Fosado, Yair Augusto Gutiérrez
Michieletto, Davide
Martelli, Fausto
contents In this Letter we study the phase transition between amorphous ices and the nature of the hysteresis cycle separating them. We discover that a topological transition takes place as the system transforms from low-density amorphous ice (LDA) at low pressures, to high-density amorphous ice (HDA) at high pressures. Specifically, we uncover that the hydrogen bond network (HBN) displays qualitatively different topologies in the LDA and HDA phases: the former characterised by disentangled loop motifs, while the latter displaying topologically complex and metastable Hopf-linked and knotted configurations. At the phase transition, the transient opening of the HBN topological motifs yields mechanical fragility on the macroscale. Our results provide a detailed microscopic description of the topological nature of the phase transition and the hysteresis cycle between amorphous ices. We argue that the topological transition discovered in this work may not only improve our understanding of amorphous ices but represent a generic mechanism for the densification of network-forming materials.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2406_09080
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Link to Densify: Topological Transitions and Origin of Hysteresis During the (De)Compression of Amorphous Ices
Fosado, Yair Augusto Gutiérrez
Michieletto, Davide
Martelli, Fausto
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Soft Condensed Matter
In this Letter we study the phase transition between amorphous ices and the nature of the hysteresis cycle separating them. We discover that a topological transition takes place as the system transforms from low-density amorphous ice (LDA) at low pressures, to high-density amorphous ice (HDA) at high pressures. Specifically, we uncover that the hydrogen bond network (HBN) displays qualitatively different topologies in the LDA and HDA phases: the former characterised by disentangled loop motifs, while the latter displaying topologically complex and metastable Hopf-linked and knotted configurations. At the phase transition, the transient opening of the HBN topological motifs yields mechanical fragility on the macroscale. Our results provide a detailed microscopic description of the topological nature of the phase transition and the hysteresis cycle between amorphous ices. We argue that the topological transition discovered in this work may not only improve our understanding of amorphous ices but represent a generic mechanism for the densification of network-forming materials.
title Link to Densify: Topological Transitions and Origin of Hysteresis During the (De)Compression of Amorphous Ices
topic Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.09080