  The effect of tensile stress applied during cooling of binary glasses on the
potential energy states and mechanical properties is investigated using
molecular dynamics simulations. We study the three-dimensional binary mixture
that was first annealed near the glass transition temperature and then rapidly
cooled under tension into the glass phase. It is found that at larger values of
the applied stress, the liquid glass former freezes under higher strain and its
potential energy is enhanced. For a fixed cooling rate, the maximum tensile
stress that can be applied during cooling is reduced upon increasing initial
temperature above the glass transition point. We also show that the amorphous
structure of rejuvenated glasses is characterized by an increase in the number
of contacts between smaller type atoms. Furthermore, the results of tensile
tests demonstrate that the elastic modulus and the peak value of the stress
overshoot are reduced in glasses prepared at larger applied stresses and higher
initial temperatures, thus indicating enhanced ductility. These findings might
be useful for the development of processing and fabrication methods to improve
plasticity of bulk metallic glasses.
