We present a detailed investigation of the wave-vector dependence of collective atomic motion in ${\mathrm{Au}}_{49}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{26.9}{\mathrm{Si}}_{16.3}{\mathrm{Ag}}_{5.5}{\mathrm{Pd}}_{2.3}$ and ${\mathrm{Pd}}_{42.5}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{27}{\mathrm{Ni}}_{9.5}{\mathrm{P}}_{21}$ supercooled liquids close to the glass transition temperature. Using x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy in a previously uncovered spatial range of only a few interatomic distances, we show that the microscopic structural relaxation process mimics the structure and presents a marked slowing down at the main average interparticle distance. This behavior is accompanied by dramatic changes in the shape of the intermediate scattering functions, which suggest the presence of large dynamical heterogeneities at length scales corresponding to a few particle diameters. A ballisticlike mechanism of particle motion seems to govern the structural relaxation of the two systems in the highly viscous phase, likely associated with hopping of caged particles in agreement with theoretical studies.

• Received 2 March 2020
• Accepted 1 July 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.055701