Self-stabilized energy dissipation boundary during shear banding of amorphous solids

Amorphous alloys possess many desirable physical and mechanical characteristics, but their practical utility is constrained by catastrophic shear banding–a consequence of restricted energy dissipation governed by dual self-stabilized boundaries: (1) energy diffusion boundaries and (2) cluster cooperative motion boundaries. The restricted energy dissipation capacity stems from the finite thickness of shear bands, which defines a self-stabilized energy dissipation boundary during plastic deformation. This research confirmed the existence of characteristic shear band thickness and offered a novel perspective on the performance regulation of amorphous solids by revealing the self-organized stabilization of shear bands through experiments and simulations. Critically, the stabilization mechanism deviates from Stokes–Einstein predictions and follows an Arrhenius-type diffusion process, where the diffusion boundary at the shear band-matrix interface regulates free volume transport. The critical scale of shear band thickness is found to be the best strategy for minimizing energy. This discovery introduces a novel approach to optimize mechanical qualities in various application circumstances by altering material microstructures.