Effect of Ag addition on local structure of Cu–Zr glassy alloy

The effect of Ag substituting Cu on the structural features of the Cu₅₅Zr₄₅, Cu₄₅Zr₄₅Ag₁₀, and Cu₃₅Zr₄₅Ag₂₀glassy alloys was studied using the real-space pair distribution and radial distribution functions. The experimental x-ray diffraction data obtained in a synchrotron beam were used to derive pair and radial distribution functions through Fourier transformation processing. These results suggest that a certain degree of medium-range order in this alloy is maintained up to about 2.5 nm distance. It is suggested that the addition of Ag causes formation of a more homogeneous local atomic structure compared with that of a binary Cu–Zr alloy, which could be considered as a reason for the improved glass-forming ability of this alloy.