ORALS

In this article, we are reporting conclusive experimental evidence from UV-Visible data for the existence of self-assembly structures in intermediate phase region which lays between 2.4 ≤ < r > < 2.54 across the Ge_xSe_1-x glass series. Various experimental studies were performed on chalcogenide glasses since 1996 until 2019 by many groups on modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC). These studies have shown the presence of the intermediate phase, the so-called self-organized phase. Investigations on the compositional dependencies of the optical bandgap have revealed a non-monotonical trend in increase of bandgap due to nanocluster formation of different sizes. This gives rise to the intermediate phase region of the fluctuation driven bandgap and existence of the rigidity percolation threshold at < r > = 2.4. Glasses in the intermediate phase region are supposed to be stress free and homogenous. The results in the intermediate phase region are discussed and correlated with X-ray structural coherence data (D=2π/Δk from FSDP) which shows deviation from the mean field, from fluctuation-driven behavior in terms of network topologies and from percolative arguments. Irregular disorder in the compositional range plays a vigorous role for the manifestation of intermediate phase regions at room temperature. Our results extricate between triphase structural seclusion of the system across the Ge_xSe_1-x glass series.

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