A low-frequency Raman study of glassy, supercooled and molten silica and the preservation of the Boson peak in the equilibrium liquid state

A temperature dependent Raman spectroscopic study of the Boson peak in silica is being presented. For the first time experimental data are obtained not only above the glass transition temperature but also above the melting point. The intriguing temperature dependencies exhibited by the Boson peak frequency and intensity are examined in detail. A comparison of the above features between the frequency-reduced and the true excess density of vibrational states revealed that the spectrum of the latter does not exhibit the anomalous trend of the Boson peak as regards the temperature dependence of its frequency, and further the number of the excess modes decreases with increasing temperature. The observability of the Boson peak in the normal liquid state as a well-resolved peak is also discussed in the context of recent theoretical and simulation works that relate the Boson peak with the details of the potential energy landscape of the supercooled liquid. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.