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Further testing the validity of generalized heterogeneous-elasticity theory for low-frequency excitations in structural glasses

Walter Schirmacher1,2, Matteo Paoluzzi3, Felix Cosmin Mocanu4, Dmytro Khomenko3,5, Grzegorz Szamel6, Francesco Zamponi3, and Giancarlo Ruocco2,3

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Phys. Rev. E 113, 065406 – Published 5 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/96wr-b4l1

Abstract

We summarize the salient features of our theory of nonphononic vibrational excitations in glasses [W. Schirmacher et al., Nat. Commun. 15, 3107 (2024)]. Next, we provide further evidence of the nonuniversality of the ω4 scaling of the nonphononic vibrational density of states (DoS), and the existence of an important class of nonphononic excitations in glasses, which we call defect states. These modes are induced by frozen-in stresses and can be classified as quasilocalized. Our results suggest that the commonly observed low-frequency ω4 scaling of the nonphononic vibrational density of states is highly dependent on the technical aspects of the molecular dynamics simulations employed to compute the DoS.

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Corrections

9 June, 2026

Correction: The name of the fifth author was misspelled and has been fixed.

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Phys. Rev. E 113, 065406– Published 5 June, 2026
  • Received 5 September 2025
  • Accepted 30 April 2026
  • Corrected 9 June 2026
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