Room temperature homogeneous ductility of micrometer-sized metallic glass

Homogeneous ductile flow of metallic glasses is observed at the micrometer scale. It is shown that this unusual deformation mode of an otherwise brittle material depends on both specimen size and applied loading rate. The results are explained by intrinsic length-scale effects of nanometer-sized defects, and provide a rationale for the long term debated brittle-to-ductile transition of amorphous metals.