Theory of low-temperature thermal expansion of glasses

Abstract

We have developed a theory of low-temperature thermal expansion of glasses explaining a number of existing experimental data. We assume that thermal expansion, like many other low-temperature properties of glasses, is determined by associated two-level systems (TLS’s); this concept has been introduced to explain these properties by Anderson, Halperin, and Varma and by Phillips. Our theory is based on the Karpov-Klinger-Ignat’ev model of two-level systems in glasses. The deformation potential of the TLS’s is calculated. We have shown that it consists of two parts: The larger part (of the order of 0.3 eV) is responsible for the observed transport properties of glasses; however, it does not contribute to the thermal expansion of glasses. The latter is caused by a relatively small second part of the deformation potential which is, within logarithmic accuracy, proportional to the TLS’s interlevel spacing E.