QUASICRYSTALS

In crystallography, crystals are highly ordered structures with long range translational symmetry and periodicity. These structures can be described with one or many of the 230 space groups, which encompass their rotational and translational symmetry. The diffraction pattern of these crystals , show point symmetries. The rotational symmetries allowed are 2,3,4,6 fold symmetries in 1 D. in 3D, there can be different rotational symmetries but along different axes, they are restricted to the same set (2-, 3, 4-, and 6- fold). But in 1984, however, Shechtman, Blech, Gratias & Cahn published a paper where they showed electron diffraction patterns of an Mn-Al alloy with sharp reflection peaks and 10 fold symmetry. The whole set of diffraction patterns revealed an icosahedral symmetry of the reciprocal space. We report herein the existence of a metallic solid which diffracts electrons like a single crystal but has point group symmetry m3 5 (icosahedral) which is inconsistent with lattice translations. -- physical review, 1984 (] D. Shechtman, I. Blech, D. Gratias, and J. W. Cahn, Metallic Phase with Long-Range Orientational Order and No Translational Symmetry)

Electron diffraction pattern from an icosahedral quasicrystal. Note the presence of perfect pentagons highlighted in the diagram to the right. The linear scale between pentagons is , and the scale between a pentagon inscribed in another pentagon is 2 (1)

These crystals with prohibited rotational symmetries were thus termed as quasicrystals. Formally quasicrystals are structures with long range order but are not periodic. The former is manifested in the occurrence of sharp diffraction spots and the latter in the presence of a non-crystallographic rotational symmetry. Though the translational invariance in not present in quasicrystals, they do however possess another symmetry called the self-similarity by scaling. It is a scale invariance wherein the structural pattern does not change when multiplied by a common constant. Here the common constant is the golden

ratio, , obtained from dividing 2 successive numbers from the Fibonacci sequence. The value of this scaling constant is 1.618. In the above picture, the linear scale between the pentagons is while the scale between a pentagon inscribed in another pentagon is 2 .

1 2

Successive spots are at a distance inflated by (2)

In 1976, Roger Penrose suggested an aperiodic tiling constructed by rotation of two tiles only. These were called the Penrose Tiling. These structures exhibited a five-fold rotational symmetry. Further, Alan MacKay showed that the Fourier transform of the diffraction pattern from a Penrose tiling gave rise to sharp peaks arranged in 5 fold rotational symmetry. Since these observations were the same as observed with the diffraction pattern of the quasi crystals, the Penrose tiling are considered to be a realistic model for the 2d net of the quasi crystals. EXAMPLE OF PENROSE TILING
(3)

The types of quasiperiodic crystals are, 1. Quasiperiodic in two dimensions. These incude polygonal or dihedral crystals. It has sub elements namely octagonal, decagonal and dodecagonal. This has one periodic direction which lies perpendicular to the quasiperodic layers. 2. Quasiperiodic in three dimensions. This type has no periodic direction and isocahedral quasi crystals are part of this type 3. New Type. It is a recently discovered type. Isocahedral quasicrystals with broken symmetry fall under this type

Quasicrystals have the following properties, 1. They are hard and brittle materials with unusual transport properties 2. They have low low surface energies. This makes them corrosion and adhesion resistant. Further their coefficient of static friction is low. 3. Thermal and electronic transport is enhanced due to phonons and Bloch wave, formed due to the periodic structure.

The first quasicrystals discovered were synthetic intermetallics. They were also found in systems like dendrimer liquid crystals and star copolymers. Recently naturally occurring quasicrystals were discovered in the mineral icosahedrite , from the Khatyrka River in Chukhotka, Russia. Quasicrystals
are found most often in aluminium alloys (Al-Li-Cu, Al-Mn-Si, Al-Ni-Co, Al-Pd-Mn, Al-Cu-Fe, Al-Cu-V, etc.), but numerous other compositions are also known (Cd-Yb, Ti-Zr-Ni, Zn-Mg-Ho, Zn-Mg-Sc, In-AgYb, Pd-U-Si, etc.). Apart from the (Al-Li-Cu) system, all are free from defects and disorders as demonstrated by X ray diffraction.

Quasicrystal of an alloy of aluminium, copper and iron, displaying an external form consistent with their icosahedral symmetry (4)

Applications of quasicrystals are :1. They are used for wear resistant and non stick coating. 2. They are used in polymer matrix composites 3. They are used in hydrogen storage technology

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR PHOTOGRAPHS (1) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2011/advancedchemistryprize2011.pdf (2) https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC4QFjAA &url=http%3A%2F%2Fbudker.berkeley.edu%2FPhysics141_2013%2FLouis%2520Kang%2520 Physics%2520141A%2520Discovery%2520of%2520Quasicrystals.pptx&ei=k243UabLBsiUrgeA14CQCw&usg=AF QjCNESxX3HENhdWjtA-UY_dsZ1VcSIEA&bvm=bv.43287494,d.bmk (3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Penrose_Tiling_(Rhombi).svg (4) http://www.answers.com/topic/quasicrystal

BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2011/advancedchemistryprize2011.pdf http://www.jcrystal.com/steffenweber/qc.html http://www.jewelinfo4u.com/Quasicrystals.aspx http://www.tau.ac.il/~ronlif/symmetry.html http://mafija.fmf.uni-lj.si/seminar/files/2009_2010/Quasicrystals.pdf http://www.physics.princeton.edu/~steinh/QuasiPartI.pdf http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/sp958-lide/300-302.pdf