Raman scattering study of glass crystallization kinetics

Laser induced glass-crystalline transition is studied by light scattering. Three significant effects are observed depending on the incident laser energy density: (i) Spectral band narrowing indicating cluster enlargement constitutes a precursor effect, (ii) an intensity increase effect indicates a rapid rise of the density of clusters attaining microcrystalline size and (iii) a dynamical reversal effect indicative of glass-crystalline instability. Cluster volume and crystallization appear as separate but related threshold phenomena.