Protocol-dependent shear modulus of amorphous solids

Understand

We investigate the linear elastic response of amorphous solids to a shear strain at zero temperature.

• We find that the response is characterized by at least two distinct shear moduli.
• The first one, $\mu_{\rm ZFC}$, is associated with the linear response of a single energy minimum.
• The second, $\mu_{\rm FC}$, is related to sampling, through plastic events, an ensemble of distinct energy minima.