# Hidden dormant phase mediating the glass transition in disordered matter Source: [Hidden dormant phase mediating the glass transition in disordered matter]() Collection index: [llms.txt]() Data updated: 2025-10-25T06:50:37.309Z Authors: Eunyoung Park, Sinwoo Kim, Melody M. Wang, Junha Hwang, Sung Yun Lee, Jaeyong Shin, Seung-Phil Heo, Jungchan Choi, Heemin Lee, Dogeun Jang, Minseok Kim, Kyung Sook Kim, Sangsoo Kim, Intae Eom, Daewoong Nam, X. Wendy Gu, Changyong Song Published: 2024-11-05T00:32:47.000Z ## Abstract Metallic glass is a frozen liquid with structural disorder that retains degenerate free energy without spontaneous symmetry breaking to become a solid. For over half a century, this puzzling structure has raised fundamental questions about how structural disorder impacts glass-liquid phase transition kinetics, which remain elusive without direct evidence. In this study, through single-pulse, time-resolved imaging using X-ray free-electron lasers, we visualized the glass-to-liquid transition, revealing a previously hidden dormant phase that does not involve any macroscopic volume change within the crossover regime between the two phases. Although macroscopically inactive, nanoscale redistribution occurs, forming channeld low-density bands within this dormant phase that drives the glass transition. By providing direct microscopic evidence, this work presents a new perspective on the phase transition process in disordered materials, which can be extended to various liquid and solid phases in other complex systems. ## Recorded benchmark results A research result applies to its stated dataset, split, metric and evaluation configuration. Compare like-for-like settings, preserve the metric's unit and direction, and distinguish paper-reported results from independent reproduction. The best result recorded here is not a claim of exhaustive, current global coverage. ## Original sources and implementation [Original paper]() [PDF]()