Possible nucleus of the Bergman cluster in the Zn-Mg-Y alloy system

TL;DR

This study investigates the crystallographic relations in the Zn-Mg-Y alloy system to identify a potential nucleus for the Bergman cluster in the formation of F-type icosahedral quasicrystals, revealing atomic correspondences and structural assembly.

Contribution

It establishes specific orientation relationships among phases and identifies a six-column atomic assembly as the nucleus for the Bergman cluster formation.

Findings

Crystallographic relations among phases were determined.

Atomic correspondence between structures was elucidated.

A six-column atomic assembly was proposed as the nucleus.

Abstract

To understand the formation of the Bergman cluster in the F-type icosahedral quasicrystal, crystallographic relations between the quasicrystal and the intermetallic-compound H and Zn$_{23}$Y$_6$ phases in the Zn-Mg-Y alloy system were investigated mainly by transmission electron microscopy. It was found that, although sample rotations of about 1{\deg} were required to obtain simple crystallographic relations, the orientation relationship was established among the cubic-$Fm\overline{3}m$ Zn$_{23}$Y$_6$ structure, the hexagonal-$P6_3/mmc$ H structure, and the F-type icosahedral quasicrystal (IQ); that is, $[\overline{1}13]_{\rm c}$ // the fivefold axis in the IQ // N$(2\overline{1} \overline{1}0)_{\rm H}$, and $[110]_{\rm c}$ // the twofold axis in the IQ // N$(05\overline{5}3)_{\rm H}$, where N(hkml)$_{\rm H}$ means the normal direction of the (hkml)$_{\rm H}$ plane in the H structure. The correspondences between atomic positions in the Bergman cluster and in the Zn$_{23}$Y$_6$ structure and between those in the cluster and in the H structure were investigated on the basis of the established relationship. As a result, an assembly of six short-penetrated-decagonal columns was identified as an appropriate nucleus in the formation of the Bergman cluster from these two structures.