关键词: 非晶态物质, 常规物质第四态, 单质非晶, 非晶形成能力

Abstract:  Amorphous matters are ubiquitous in nature and daily life, exhibiting unique physical and chemical properties. In recent years, through extensive experimental and theoretical research, scientists have recognized the amorphous state as an independent and conventional state of matter, positioning it alongside solid, liquid, and gas as the fourth fundamental state. The long-standing question of whether all substances can form amorphous states, raised nearly a century ago, has remained unresolved until recently. The crux of this issue lies in determining if monatomic metals with the weakest glass-forming ability can be transformed into stable amorphous state, which would provide compelling evidence that the amorphous state is a fundamental property of matter. Recently, a method of ultrafast laser ablation was developed, successfully achieving the vitrification of various monatomic metals, including gold and silver, which are notoriously difficult to be vitrified. This result not only breaks the vitrification limitation of monatomic metals but also confirms that the vitrification is indeed an intrinsic property of matter. Moreover, this method provides a strategy for the preparation and design of amorphous materials.