Discovery of a binary icosahedral quasicrystal in Sc$_12$Zn$_88$

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a new binary icosahedral quasicrystal in the Sc-Zn alloy system, characterized by unique growth morphologies and degrees of order, indicating potential for uncovering more such phases.

Contribution

It introduces a new binary icosahedral quasicrystal, i-Sc12Zn88, and suggests reexamining phase diagrams near known approximant structures for additional quasicrystals.

Findings

Discovery of i-Sc12Zn88 quasicrystal with distinct morphologies

Different growth conditions lead to varied quasicrystalline order

Implication for exploring binary phase diagrams for new quasicrystals

Abstract

We report the discovery of a new binary icosahedral phase in a Sc-Zn alloy obtained through solution-growth, producing millimeter-sized, facetted, single grain, quasicrystals that exhibit different growth morphologies, pentagonal dodecahedra and rhombic triacontahedra, under only marginally different growth conditions. These two morphologies manifest different degrees of quasicrystalline order, or phason strain. The discovery of i-Sc$_12$Zn$_88$ suggests that a reexamination of binary phase diagrams at compositions close to crystalline approximant structures may reveal other, new binary quasicrystalline phases.