Simulation of the diffusion mechanism in amorphous alloys was carried out using three statistical relaxation models Fe80B20 with 105 atoms. It was found, for the first time, that the simulated models contained a large number of vacancy bubbles, which could be a diffusion vehicle such as a vacancy, as in the case of diffusion in a crystal. The numbers of these vacancy bubbles vary from 2.8 x 10−3 to 1.245 x 10−2 per atom; depending upon the relaxation degree. Diffusion coefficients were calculated via the vacancy bubbles and they were very consistent with experiment. The relaxation effect was also studied and interpreted as a result of vacancy-bubble annihilation during thermal annealing.

Evidence of 'Microscopic Bubbles' and a New Diffusion Mechanism for Amorphous Alloys. P.K.Hung, P.H.Kien, L.T.Vinh: Journal of Physics - Condensed Matter, 2010, 22[3], 035401