Onset of slow dynamics in supercooled liquid silicon

The temperature range in which supercooled liquid silicon begins to display non-Arrhenius temperature dependence of single particle diffusion at a fixed density is analyzed. Similar to the behavior found in other liquids, below the onset temperature the system begins to sample basins of local energy minima whose depth decreases with temperature. It is also found that the onset temperature in silicon coincides with the temperature of maximum density. An analysis of the structure of the liquid indicates, however, that significant structural change begins to manifest at a temperature substantially higher than the onset temperature.