Role of Quantum Effects in the GlassTransition.

Abstract

It is shown that quantum effects lead to a significant decrease of the glass transition temperature Tg with respect to the melting temperature Tm, so that the ratio Tg=Tm can be much smaller than the typical value of 2=3 in materials where Tg is near or below 60 K. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the viscosity or structural relaxation time in such low temperature glass formers should exhibit highly unusual temperature dependence, namely a decrease of the apparent activation energy upon approaching Tg (instead of traditional increase).