P. J. Nugent

Templated three-dimensional growth of quasicrystalline lead

Quasicrystals, materials with aperiodic long-range order, have been found in intermetallics, soft materials such as colloids and supermolecules, and also in two-dimensional monolayer films. Here we present the first example of three-dimensional growth of a single-element quasicrystalline film. Using a hitherto unexplored template, the icosahedral Ag-In-Yb quasicrystal, and various experimental techniques combined with theoretical calculations of adsorption energies, we find that lead atoms deposited on the surface occupy the positions of atoms in the rhombic triacontahedral cluster, the building block of the substrate, and thus grow in layers with different heights and adsorption energies. We show that the adlayer-adlayer interaction is crucial for stabilizing this epitaxial quasicrystalline structure. The finding opens an avenue for further investigation of the impact of the aperiodic atomic order over periodic order on the physical and chemical properties of materials.

The atomic structure of the threefold surface of the icosahedral Ag?In?Yb quasicrystal

We report a study of the atomic structure of the threefold icosahedral (i-)Ag-In-Yb quasicrystal surface using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). The LEED confirms that the surface exhibits quasicrystalline long-range order with the threefold symmetry expected from the bulk. The STM reveals large atomically flat terraces separated by steps of different heights. A comparison of atomically resolved STM images for the terraces and the step-height distribution with the bulk structure of isostructural i-Cd-Yb shows that the terraces are formed at bulk planes intersecting the centers of the rhombic triacontahedral clusters that make up the bulk structure of the system. However, the stability of particular terraces may be influenced by the density of atoms in the interstices (glue atoms that bind the clusters) in the terraces and also by the chemical environment in the underlying atomic plane. The surface exhibits screw dislocations, which is explained in terms of a continuous atomic density along the threefold axis.

Step-terrace morphology and reactivity to C60 of the five-fold icosahedral Ag–In–Yb quasicrystal

The surface of the icosahedral i-Ag–In–Yb quasicrystal provides one of the first non-Al-based aperiodic surfaces that is suitable for study under ultra-high vacuum conditions. We present a scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) study of the five-fold surface of this new quasicrystal demonstrating detailed structure of the terraces and steps. The analysis of the autocorrelation functions of STM images at opposite bias polarities and of the in-plane structure of the bulk model of i-Cd–Yb, which is isostructural to i-Ag–In–Yb, reveals that the surface terminations occur at the centres of the rhombic triacontrahedral (RTH) clusters, which are the basic building blocks of this material. The study further confirms that the unoccupied electronic states are located on Yb sites. Step edges display a Fibonacci sequence of truncated clusters, which can also be explained in terms of the model structure. Occasionally, a single terrace is found to display different structures at negative bias, whereas the same terrace shows a uniform structure at positive bias. Depositing C60 creates a disordered overlayer on the surface with no resulting FFT or LEED patterns.

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

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.

Crystalline and quasicrystalline allotropes of Pb formed on the fivefold surface of icosahedral Ag-In-Yb

Crystalline and quasicrystalline allotropes of Pb are formed by evaporation on the fivefold surface of the icosahedral (i) Ag-In-Yb quasicrystal under ultra-high vacuum. Lead grows in three dimensional quasicrystalline order and subsequently forms fivefold-twinned islands with the fcc(111) surface orientation atop of the quasicrystalline Pb. The islands exhibit specific heights (magic heights), possibly due to the confinement of electrons in the islands. We also study the adsorption behavior of C60 on the two allotropes of Pb. Scanning tunneling microcopy reveals that a high corrugation of the quasicrystalline Pb limits the diffusion of the C60 molecules and thus produces a disordered film, similar to adsorption behavior of the same molecules on the clean substrate surface. However, the sticking coefficient of C60 molecules atop the Pb islands approaches zero, regardless of the overall C60 coverage.

Impurity phases in icosahedral Ag-In-Yb quasicrystal: Influence in surface structure

We present scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) studies of the fivefold surface of icosahedral (i) Ag-In-Yb quasicrystals grown under different conditions. The sample grown at a slower rate is found to exhibit impurity phases on the surface, whereas a faster growth rate yields a sample with a structurally perfect surface.

Medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) study from the five-fold surface of icosahedral Ag-In-Yb quasicrystal

Medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) is employed to characterize the composition and structure of the five-fold surface of the icosahedral Ag42In42Yb16 quasicrystal. The composition of the surface after sputtering is dominated by Ag and In, and when the surface is annealed at temperatures approaching 430°C, Yb is restored at the surface. The composition is that expected from the bulk structure if the surface is formed at bulk planes involving the centre of rhombic triacontahedral clusters, the building blocks of the system. Structural analysis of MEIS results are also consistent with a surface after annealing that is in close agreement with bulk truncation intersecting the cluster centre.