Structural comparison of amorphous Cu50Zr50 alloys prepared by proton irradiation, melt spinning, and mechanical alloying

X-ray diffraction was used to evaluate the structures of amorphous samples of Cu50Zr50 prepared by three different methods, namely, melt spinning, mechanical alloying, and irradiation by 2-MeV protons. The results demonstrate conclusively for the first time that, within experimental error, the short-range atomic distribution in an amorphous alloy is the same, regardless of how it is prepared.