Liquid-liquid phase transition in supercooled yttria-alumina

Phys Rev Lett. 2009 Nov 27;103(22):225702. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.225702. Epub 2009 Nov 23.

Abstract

The structure and thermal characteristics of aerodynamically levitated samples of yttria-alumina in the liquid, supercooled liquid and solid phases were explored in an extensive series of high energy x-ray diffraction, small angle neutron scattering, and pyrometric cooling measurements. Particular focus was placed on the compound (Y2O3)(x)(Al2O3)(1-x) with x = 0.2 for which a liquid-liquid phase transition at a temperature of 1788 K has recently been reported. No structural or thermal signature in support of this metastable phase transition could be found.