Fig. 2: Tensile tests on Zr₅₅Cu₃₀Al₁₀Ni₅ (Zr55) bulk metallic glass (BMG) with pulsed electric currents of different density i applied on the BMG specimen (i = 0, 30, 33, 35, and 38 A·mm⁻²).

The pulsed currents are of a constant pulse width t_w = 10 ms and a constant pulse period t_p = 400 ms. a True stress–strain (SS) curves in tension, and b morphologies of the tested BMG specimens, indicating an inhomogeneous-to-homogeneous transition upon increasing current density; c close-up on the necking region, indicating no sign of shear banding in the BMG specimen tested at a current density of 33 A·mm⁻²; scale bar is 500 μm. d High-resolution TEM images of the atoms in the necking region of the BMG specimen tested at a current density of 33 A·mm⁻², from the zone indicated by the rectangle in (c), demonstrating the maintained amorphous structure of Zr55 BMG after tension under pulsed current. Scale bar is 5 nm.