Structure of the twofold surface of the icosahedral Ag-In-Yb quasicrystal

C. Cui (1, 2) , P. J. Nugent (3) , M. Shimoda , Julian Ledieu (4) , Vincent Fournée (4) , A. P. Tsai (1, 5) , R. Mcgrath (3) , H. R. Sharma (3)

1 Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials
2 Zhejiang Sci-Tech University
3 Department of Physics and Surface Science Research Centre
4 IJL - Institut Jean Lamour
5 NIMS - National Institute for Materials Science

The structure of the twofold surface of the icosahedral (i-)Ag-In-Yb quasicrystal has been investigated using low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The LEED confirms that the surface exhibits quasicrystalline long range order with the twofold rotational symmetry expected from the bulk. STM images reveal a step-terrace structure with terrace size comparable to that of the other high symmetry surfaces of the same quasicrystal. The distribution of step heights and high resolution STM images of terraces suggest that the surface terminates at bulk planes that intersect the center of rhombic triacontahedral clusters, the building blocks of the system, as in the case of the threefold and fivefold surfaces of the system. These planes are rich in Yb and In. No facets are observed on the surface, suggesting that the twofold surface is as stable as the other high symmetry surfaces.

Domaines: Science des matériaux [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

C. Cui, P. J. Nugent, M. Shimoda, Julian Ledieu, Vincent Fournée, et al.. Structure of the twofold surface of the icosahedral Ag-In-Yb quasicrystal. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 2014, 26 (1), ⟨10.1088/0953-8984/26/1/015001⟩. ⟨hal-01287848⟩