Theory of structural glasses and supercooled liquids

Abstract

We review the random first-order transition theory of the glass transition, emphasizing the experimental tests of the theory. Many distinct phenomena are quantitatively predicted or explained by the theory, both above and below the glass transition temperature T(g). These include the following: the viscosity catastrophe and heat-capacity jump at T(g), and their connection; the nonexponentiality of relaxations and their correlation with the fragility; dynamic heterogeneity in supercooled liquids owing to the mosaic structure; deviations from the Vogel-Fulcher law, connected with strings or fractal cooperative rearrangements; deviations from the Stokes-Einstein relation close to T(g); aging and its correlation with fragility; and the excess density of states at cryogenic temperatures owing to two-level tunneling systems and the Boson peak.