Interplay between the structure and dynamics in liquid and undercooled boron: An ab initio molecular dynamics simulation study

In the present work, the structural and dynamic properties of liquid and undercooled boron are investigated by means of ab initio molecular dynamics simulation. Our results show that both liquid and undercooled states present a well pronounced short-range order (SRO) mainly due to the formation of inverted umbrella structural units. Moreover, we observe the development of a medium-range order (MRO) in the undercooling regime related to the increase of inverted umbrella structural units and of their interconnection as the temperature decreases. We also evidence that this MRO leads to a partial crystallization in the beta-rhombohedral crystal below T = 1900 K. Finally, we discuss the role played by the SRO and MRO in the nearly Arrhenius evolution of the diffusion and the non-Arrhenius temperature dependence of the shear viscosity, in agreement with the experiment. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.