Stability of glasses

<p indent="0mm">Glass is typically formed by rapidly cooling a melt to suppress crystallization, resulting in a thermodynamically metastable state. Therefore, whether glass can maintain stability over extended periods and the mechanisms underlying its stability have long been key research topics in the field of amorphous physics. Based on previous studies of various types of glass, including metallic glass and lunar inorganic glass, this study first elucidates the origin of glass metastability and the definition of stability. Subsequently, various methods to enhance glass stability are introduced, including the fabrication techniques for ultrastable thin-film and bulk glasses. Finally, the long-term stability of ultrastable metallic glasses and lunar glasses is analyzed, revealing the key influence of material factors on glass stability, and providing theoretical support for the future design of high-stability glasses. The timescale of glass stability research ranges from conventional laboratory timeframes to natural aging over eighteen years, and even extends to geological timescales of millions to billions of years. A deeper understanding of glass stability not only helps improve the reliability of glass in practical applications, but also offers key materials and insights for exploring fundamental scientific questions such as supercooled liquids and ideal glass transition in glassy physics.