The static lengthscale characterizing the glass transition at lower temperatures

The existence of a static lengthscale that grows in accordance with the dramatic slowing-down observed at the glass transition is a subject of intense interest. Due to limitations on the relaxation times reachable by standard molecular-dynamics techniques (i.e. a range of about 4-5 orders of magnitude) it was until now impossible to demonstrate a significant enough increase in any proposed lengthscale. In this letter we explore the typical scale at unprecedented lower temperatures. A Swap Monte Carlo approach allows us to reach a lengthscale growth by more than 500%. We conclude by discussing the relationship between the observed lengthscale and various models of the relaxation time, proposing that the associated increase in relaxation time approaches experimental values. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2015