Self-assembly of the decagonal quasicrystalline order in simple three-dimensional systems

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that simple three-dimensional particle systems with purely repulsive, isotropic interactions and two characteristic length scales can form decagonal quasicrystals, highlighting universal features across different potentials.

Contribution

It shows that decagonal quasicrystals can form in simple isotropic particle systems without attraction, using universal integral parameters related to the radial distribution function.

Findings

Decagonal quasicrystals form with purely repulsive, isotropic interactions.

Universal effective parameters predict quasicrystal formation across different potentials.

Models relate to real materials like liquids, soft matter, and alloys.

Abstract

For a three dimensional system we answer two questions, how simple a particle system might be to show the quasicrystal order and, what system features are the most important for quasicrystal formation? One-component system of particles with isotropic pair interaction is one of the simplest ones. We show that such system may be driven to three-dimensional decagonal (10-fold) quasicrystalline state just by purely repulsive, isotropic and monotonic interaction pair potential with two characteristic length scales; no attraction is needed. The second question we answer defining universal (nearly independent from the shape of the pair potential) effective integral parameters related to the first peak of the radial distribution function. The universality is illustrated by demonstrating the quasicrystalline order for a number of particle systems with absolutely different interaction potentials, both purely repulsive and attractive, but with the same effective integral parameters. Simple models like we study qualitatively describe effective interaction in molecular liquids, soft matter systems and metallic alloys for which quasicrystals have been experimentally observed.