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Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have received significant research interest due to their completely amorphous structure which results in unique structural and functional properties. Absence of grain boundaries and secondary phases in BMGs results in high corrosion resistance in many different environments. Understanding and tailoring the corrosion behavior can be significant for various structural applications in bulk form as well as coatings. In this study, the corrosion behavior of several Zr-based and Fe-Co based BMGs was evaluated to understand the effect of chemistry as well as quenched in free volume on corrosion behavior and mechanisms. Presence of Nb in Zr-based alloys was found to significantly improve corrosion resistance due to the formation of a stable passive oxide. Relaxed glasses showed lower rates compared to the as-cast alloys. This was attributed to lowering of chemical potential from the reduced fraction of free volume. Potentiodynamic polarization and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) techniques helped in quantifying the corrosion rate and polarization resistance. The effect of alloy composition was quantified by extensive surface analysis using Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and auger spectroscopy. Pitting intensity was higher in the as-cast glasses than the relaxed glasses. The electrochemical behavior of a Zr-Ti-Cu-Ni-Be bulk metallic glass subjected to high strain processing was studied. High strain processing caused shear band formation and an increase in the free volume. Potentiodynamic polarization and EIS showed a strong correlation between the enthalpy of structural relaxation and corrosion rate and polarization resistance. Pitting was observed to preferentially occur on shear bands in the processed samples, while it was stochastic in unprocessed glass. The corrosion analysis of Co-Fe glasses showed an increase in corrosion current density when Fe content was increased from 0 to 7 at%. The corrosion resistance improved when Fe content was further increased to 15 at%. Similar trend was seen in EIS studies. The improved corrosion resistance at 15 at% Fe can be attributed to the large supercooled region that facilitates the formation of completely amorphous alloy, in contrast to lower Fe containing alloys, where short range ordering may deteriorate the corrosion resistance. Porous metallic glass structure was developed by electrochemical dealloying via cyclic voltammetry. Mechanical properties and changes in electrical conductivity were measured as a function of depth from surface by nano-indentation and nano electrical contact resistance technique. The nanoporous layer was found have hardness of 0.41 GPa and elastic modulus of nearly 22 GPa. The resistivity of the nanoporous layer continuously decreased when moving towards the substrate as the indentation depth increased which is attributed to the gradient in pore size.

Dans le cadre de cette thèse nous utilisons les techniques du groupe de renormalisation pour étudier des systèmes vitreux. Plus précisément, nous étudions des modèles de verres de spins et de verres structuraux.Le modèles de verres de spin représentent des matériaux magnétiques désordonnés uniaxaux, comme une solution diluée de Mn en Cu, donnée par un réseau de spins situés sur le Mn et disposés aléatoirement dans le réseau des atomes de Cu. Ces spins interagissent entre eux avec un potentiel qui oscille en fonction de la séparation entre les spins. Quant aux modèles de verres structuraux, ils représentent des liquides qui ont été refroidis assez rapidement pour ne pas cristalliser, comme le o-Terphényle ou le Glycérol. Les verres se spin et les verres structuraux sont intéressants physiquement parce que leurs propriétés critiques ne sont connues que dans la limite où la dimension de l'espace tends ver l'infinie, c'est-à-dire dans l'approximation de champ moyen. Une question fondamentale est si les propriétés physiques qui caractérisent ces systèmes dans le cas du champ moyen restent ou pas valables pour des verres de spin et des verres structuraux réels, qui sont dans un espace avec un nombre finie de dimensions.Les modèles de verres de spin et de verres structuraux que nous étudions dans ce travail de thèse sont des des modèles construits sur des réseaux hiérarchiques, qui sont les systèmes non-champ moyen les plus simples où l'approche du groupe de renormalisation peut être implémentée de façon naturelle. Les propriétés qui émergent de l'implémentation de la transformation du groupe de renormalisation clarifient le comportement critique de ces systèmes. En ce qui concerne le modèle de verre de spin en dimension finie que nous avons étudié, nous avons développé une nouvelle technique pour implémenter la transformation du groupe de renormalisation pour les verres de spin en dimension finie. Cette technique montre que le système a une transition de phase, caractérisée par un point critique où la longueur de corrélation du système devient infinie. Quant au modèle de verre structural en dimension finie que nous avons étudié, ceci est le premier modèle de verre structural pour lequel on a démontré l'existence d'une transition de phase au delà du champ moyen. Les idées introduites dans ce travail peuvent être développées dans le but de comprendre la structure de la phase de basse température de ces systèmes, et dans le but comprendre si les propriétés de la phase de basse température du champ moyen continuent à être valables pour les systèmes vitreux en dimension finie. / In this thesis we investigate the employ of the renormalization group for glassy systems. More precisely, we focus on models of spin glasses and structural glasses. Spin-glass models represent disordered uniaxial magnetic materials, such as a dilute solution of Mn in Cu, modeled by an array of spins on the Mn arranged at random in the matrix of Cu, and interacting with a potential which oscillates as a function of the separation of the spins. Structural glasses are liquids that have been cooled fast enough to avoid crystallization, like o-Terphenyl or Glycerol. Spin and structural glasses are physically interesting because their critical properties are known only in the limit where the space dimensionality tends to infinity, i. e. in the mean-field approximation. A fundamental question is whether the physical properties characterizing these systems in the mean-field case still hold for real spin or structural glasses, which live in a space with a finite number of dimensions. The spin and structural glasses that we study in this thesis are models built up on hierarchical lattices, which are the simplest non-mean field systems where the renormalisation group approach can be implemented in a natural way. The features emerging from this implementation clarify the critical behavior of these systems. As far as the finite-dimensional spin glass studied in this thesis is concerned, we developed a new technique to implement the renormalization group transformation for finite-dimensional spin glasses. This technique shows that the system has a finite-temperature phase transition characterized by a critical point where the system's correlation length is infinite. As far as the structural glass studied in this thesis is concerned, this is the first structural glass model where we showed the existence of a phase transition beyond mean field. The ideas introduced in this work can be further developed in order to understand the structure of the low-temperature phase of these systems, and in order to establish whether the properties of the low-temperature phase holding in the mean-field case still hold for finite-dimensional glassy systems.

O desenvolvimento de laseres de estado sólido compacto operando na região do infravermelho médio, entre 2 - 5 ?m, tem recebido considerável atenção nos últimos anos. Esses dispositivos oferecem grande potencial como fonte de luz para uma infinidade de aplicações, como por exemplo laseres para medicina e sensores químicos remotos. Laseres operando na região de 2.8 ?m tem interesse particular na medicina devido a forte banda de absorção da água nessa região espectral. Para se conseguir forte emissão laser próximo a 2.8 ?m têm sido investigadas famílias de vidros não-óxidos, como por exemplo vidros fluoretos de metais pesados e vidros chalcogenetos, dopados com Er3+. Entretanto esses vidros são caros, difíceis de serem feitos, além de serem tóxicos. Por essa razão o desenvolvimento de um vidro óxido seria ideal, já que são mais baratos, relativamente fáceis de serem produzidos, além de não serem tóxicos. A desvantagem dos vidros óxidos é a sua alta energia de fônons, quando comparada aos vidros haletos e chalcogenetos, que aumenta a taxa de transição não radiativa. Seria interessante investigar um sistema vítreo que tivesse propriedades otimizadas, ou seja, boas propriedades ópticas, térmicas e mecânicas, e baixa energia de fônons. O sistema vítreo aluminato de cálcio seria um candidato para essas aplicações, já que preenche essas exigências. Porém não há na literatura informações a respeito da influência de pequenas quantidades de elementos terras raras nas propriedades desses vidros, e qual é a concentração ideal desses íons. O objetivo dessa tese foi investigar composições de vidros aluminato de cálcio (48,1 CaO : 40.8 Al2O3 : 4.1 MgO : 7.0 SiO2) dopados com Nd2O3, Er2O3 ou Yb2O3, e verificar qual a influência desses íons nas propriedades ópticas, térmicas, mecânicas e termo-ópticas. Investigou-se também qual a influência da atmosfera de fusão. Com esse objetivo as amostras foram fundidas em cadinhos de grafite sob vácuo, e em cadinhos de platina, ao ar, ambas as fusões ocorreram a 1400 °C. As amostras foram investigadas através de difração de raios-X e microscopia óptica, cujos resultados confirmaram o estado amorfo das amostras preparadas. As amostras não apresentaram estrias e tiveram boa transparência óptica. Os espectros de transmitância mostraram que o processo de fusão a vácuo eliminou completamente a forte banda de absorção próxima a 3 ?m devida a água. O corte da transmitância na região do infravermelho ocorreu em 5.5 ?m, sendo independente do tipo do íon terra rara presente na composição do vidro. O índice de refração em 546.1 nm aumentou de 1.6702 (amostra base) para 1.6876 (amostra dopada com 8% de Er2O3). Este acréscimo no índice de refração é atribuído a um aumento da polarizabilidade eletrônica do vidro devido ao aumento de oxigênios nonbridging. A densidade aumenta de 2.92 g/cm3 (amostra base) para 3.12 g/cm3 (amostra dopada com 8% de Er2O3), esse aumento é explicado levando em consideração a massa dos átomos terras raras, que são maiores em relação ao Al2O3. A dureza dos vidros aluminato de cálcio diminuiu de 865 kg/mm2 (amostra base) para 781 kg/mm2 (amostra dopada com 8% de Er2O3), ou seja aproximadamente 11% de decréscimo. No caso da temperatura de transição vítrea, Tg, esse decréscimo é de aproximadamente 8%, sendo 841 °C para a amostra base e 782 °C para a amostra dopada com 8% de Er2O3. Para o vidro base, a difusividade térmica foi de 5.75 x 10-3 cm2/s e a condutividade térmica foi de 15.5 x 10-3 cm-1 K-1. Tanto a difusividade quanto a condutividade térmica decresceram na mesma proporção da dureza e Tg, conforme substitui-se a alumina pelo óxido terra rara. Esta é uma indicação de que os átomos terras raras atuam como modificadores de rede, abrindo a estrutura do vidro, diminuindo a resistência mecânica e atuando como barreiras térmicas no material. A resistência ao choque térmico dos vidros aluminato de cálcio é de 339 W/m, semelhante aos vidros silicatos que é de 358 W/m, e aproximadamente quatro vezes maior que a dos vidros fluoretos, 86 W/m. Este resultado confirma a hipótese de que os vidros aluminato de cálcio podem suportar variações abruptas de temperatura. Através da espectroscopia de lente térmica foram obtidas a eficiência quântica dos vidros aluminato de cálcio dopados com Nd2O3 e Er2O3. No caso das amostras dopadas com concentrações menores de 3% de Nd2O3 a eficiência quântica foi de aproximadamente 80%. Esses resultados indicam que os vidros aluminato de cálcio são excelentes candidatos para laseres de estado sólido e demais aplicações ópticas na região do infravermelho médio. / The development of compact solid-state lasers operating in the midinfrared wavelength region (2 -5 ?m) has been an area of considerable activity in the last few years. These devices offer great potential as light sources for applications as medical lasers as well as in remote chemical sensing devices. Light sources in the 2.8?m region are of particular interest for medical applications due to the strong water absorption in this spectral region. Apart from allowing extremely precise cutting and ablation of water-containing tissues, the other advantages of using light sources operating at 2.8 ?m are related to the possibilities of reducing skin burning in surgeries, decrease in the use of anesthesia and shortening of recovery time, especially in skin surgeries and in the cutting and remova1 of hard tissues, such as tooth enamel and bone. In order to achieve strong laser emission around 2.8 ?m the effort so far has been concentrated on the family of Er3+ doped non -oxide glasses such as heavy metal fluorides and chalcogenides. However the production of these glasses is expensive, and it is difficult to make them, besides they are toxic. On the other hand, the oxide glasses are cheaper, atoxic and easy to produce them. The disadvantaged, however, is its the relative high phonon energy that promote high nonradiative transition rates. Since calcium aluminate glasses are formed with non-network forms, CaO and Al2O3, they have high tendence towards devitrification. The addition of small amounts of alkali and alkaline earth elements enlarges the glass forming region. Several calcium aluminate glasses compostions containing SiO2, BaO and MgO are now reported in the literature. In this thesis, low silica calcium aluminosilicate glasses doped with Nd2O3 and Er2O3 were prepared. Since the sample compositions were close to the phase diagram glass formation, the rare earth doping was performed up to 8wt.%. The samples was melted under vacuum condition in a graphite crucible at 1500 °C, and in air in a platinum crucible. The influence of the rare earth doping on the thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and Vickers hardness was such that all these physical parameters decreased by roughly the same amount, namely 8%, between the undoped and 5 wt% of Nd2O3. The dependence of these parameters, as a function of the Nd2O3 doping, strongly supports the idea that the Nd3+ or Er3+ act as network modifiers. Elastic module (E, G, K, v) of calcium aluminosilicate glasses with < 10 mole% of SiO2 doped with Er2O3 and Yb2O3, melted in air and under vacuum conditions, have been measured using the pulse echo ultrasonic technique. There was a decrease of the elastic properties, about 5%, as rare earth doping increases from 0.2 to 1.5-mol% (about 8 wt%). The Young\'s modulus did not vary within errors of measurements. The Debye temperature varied between (369±9)K and 352±9 K, which is explained assuming that the rare earth ions acts as network modifiers disrupting the glasses structure. The undoped calcium aluminate glasses fracture toughness is (1.4±0.3) MPa m1/2 and the thermal shock resistance is (339±102) W/m. The fluorescence quantum efficiency determined by thermal lens spectroscopy, was found be about 80% for the 2wt% Nd2O3 doped calcium aluminosilicate glass. The fluorescence quenching was observed to doping higher than 2wt% Nd2O3. The variation of the refractive index as a function of the temperature, dn/dT, was found be 8.0 x 10-6/0c. Among the various glass system investigated, CA glasses presented greater mechanical properties and larger thermal shock resistance, indicating that these materials are candidates for solid state laser applications and other infrared applications.

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo dos mecanismos de transporte iônico nos vidros fluorsilicatos de cádmio e chumbo de composição 40SiO2 40PbF2 20CdF2, e nos vidros boratos contendo LiF de composição 50B2O3 10PbO 40LiF. Estes materiais são importantes pela sua potencial utilização em dispositivos ópticos e eletrólitos sólidos. No vidro borato 50B2O3 10PbO 40LiF o estudo da forma de linha do 7Li mostrou que esta é influenciada tanto por interações dipolares quanto por quadrupolares. O estudo de RMN revelou que há dois F- presentes neste vidro, um deles em vizinhaças de Pb (F- incorporados à rede vítrea substituindo o oxigênio do grupo PbO), e o outro em vizinhanças de Li. A forma de linha de RMN dependente da temperatura para o lítio e para o flúor, e seus tempos de relaxação, exibem as características qualitativas associadas com a alta mobilidade do 7Li e do 19F neste sistema. Este estudo também mostrou que, neste vidro, tanto o Li+ como o F- contribuem para a condutividade medida, sendo que o 7Li é móvel a temperaturas mais baixas (a partir de 250 K), e o 19F começa a se mover em temperaturas mais altas (a partir de 400 K). No vidro 40SiO2 40PbF2 20CdF2, os resultados de RMN mostraram a alta mobilidade do flúor e evidenciaram duas dinâmicas diferentes dos íons flúor. Os dados da relaxação do flúor revelaram um máximo da taxa de relaxação spin-rede abaixo da temperatura de transição vítrea (Tg), indicando que a mobilidade do flúor, neste vidro, é comparável àquelas encontradas em condutores iônicos rápidos / This work presents a study of the ionic transport mechanisms in lead-cadmium fluorosilicate glasses, of composition 40SiO2 40PbF2 20CdF2, and in borate glasses containing LiF, of composition 50B2O3 10PbO 40LiF. These materiais are important due to theirs high potential applicability in optic devices and in solid electrolytes. In the borate glass 50B2O3 10PbO 40LiF, the line shape study of 7Li shows an influence of the dipolar and quadrupolar interactions. The NMR results showed that there are two kinds of F- ions in this glass, one in the Pb vicinity (F- in the glass lattice, in substitution of the PbO oxygen), and the other in the Li vicinity. The NMR line shape depends on the temperature for the 7Li and 19F atoms, and their relaxation times reflect qualitative features related to the high mobility of there nuclei. Also, this study shows that, in this glass, both, 7Li and 19F, play an important role in the electric conductivity. The 7Li is mobile for low temperatures (from 250 K), while the 19F is mobile for high temperatures (from 400 K). In the 40SiO2 40PbF2 20CdF2 glass, the NMR results showed the high mobility of the fluorine ions, indicating two different dynamics of those nuclei. The relaxation data of the 19F presented a spin-lattice relaxation rate maximum below the glass transition temperature (Tg, indicating that the 19F mobility in this glass is comparable to that of rapid ionic conducting glasses

In this thesis we investigate the employ of the renormalization group for glassy systems. More precisely, we focus on models of spin glasses and structural glasses. Spin-glass models represent disordered uniaxial magnetic materials, such as a dilute solution of Mn in Cu, modeled by an array of spins on the Mn arranged at random in the matrix of Cu, and interacting with a potential which oscillates as a function of the separation of the spins. Structural glasses are liquids that have been cooled fast enough to avoid crystallization, like o-Terphenyl or Glycerol. Spin and structural glasses are physically interesting because their critical properties are known only in the limit where the space dimensionality tends to infinity, i. e. in the mean-field approximation. A fundamental question is whether the physical properties characterizing these systems in the mean-field case still hold for real spin or structural glasses, which live in a space with a finite number of dimensions. The spin and structural glasses that we study in this thesis are models built up on hierarchical lattices, which are the simplest non-mean field systems where the renormalisation group approach can be implemented in a natural way. The features emerging from this implementation clarify the critical behavior of these systems. As far as the finite-dimensional spin glass studied in this thesis is concerned, we developed a new technique to implement the renormalization group transformation for finite-dimensional spin glasses. This technique shows that the system has a finite-temperature phase transition characterized by a critical point where the system's correlation length is infinite. As far as the structural glass studied in this thesis is concerned, this is the first structural glass model where we showed the existence of a phase transition beyond mean field. The ideas introduced in this work can be further developed in order to understand the structure of the low-temperature phase of these systems, and in order to establish whether the properties of the low-temperature phase holding in the mean-field case still hold for finite-dimensional glassy systems.