This paper investigates the relaxation dynamics of a highly stable glass into its supercooled liquid using real-time atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. The study directly visualizes the progression of the liquid phase and quantifies the presence of localized fast mobility regions separated by giant length scales, establishing a clear correlation between dynamic length and time scales in glasses. The methodology offers a new perspective on the glass transition and may be applicable to other glass-forming systems.

Marta Ruiz-Ruiz, Ana Vila-Costa, Tapas Bar, Cristian Rodríguez-Tinoco, Marta Gonzalez-Silveira, Jose Antonio Plaza, Jorge Alcalá, Jordi Fraxedas, Javier Rodriguez-Viejo