Excellent glass former Ni62Nb38 crystallizing under combined shear and ultra-high pressure

Study of condensed matter in certain extreme conditions allows one to better understand the mechanisms of microscopic structural transformations and to develop materials with completely new mechanical properties. In the present work, we study the structure and crystallization kinetics of bulk metallic glass (BMG) Ni$_{62}$Nb$_{38}$. We show that this BMG is rapidly crystallized under the combined effect of shear deformation and ultrahigh pressure. A threshold pressure required to initiate the formation of a stable crystalline phase is revealed. Shear deformation and pressure lead to the phase separation: two high-density inhomogeneous crystal structures are formed. We find that the crystallization of this BMG occurs in two stages due to the significant difference in the growth rates of Ni and Nb crystalline phases. The results of the present study make a significant contribution to understanding the crystallization and amorphization features of Ni-based BMG's.