Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 28, 2026

09:16
X-ray Powder Diffraction in Conservation Science: Towards Routine Crystal Structure Determination of Corrosion Products on Heritage Art Objects
Published on: June 8, 2016
Identifying and indexing icosahedral quasicrystals from powder diffraction patterns.
P J Lu1, K Deffeyes, P J Steinhardt
1Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|January 22, 2002
Summary
A new method identifies quasicrystals using powder diffraction data and standardized indexing. This approach revealed promising new quasicrystal candidates in natural minerals for further research.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Crystallography
Background:
- Quasicrystals are complex crystalline structures with unique properties.
- Identifying new quasicrystals is crucial for advancing materials science.
- Standardized methods for analyzing diffraction data are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a standardized scheme for identifying quasicrystals.
- To apply this scheme to a large dataset of powder diffraction patterns.
- To discover novel quasicrystal candidates.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel identification scheme for quasicrystals.
- Application of the scheme to powder diffraction data.
- Standardized indexing of diffraction patterns.
Main Results:
- Successful implementation of the quasicrystal identification scheme.
- Analysis of a comprehensive catalog of powder diffraction patterns.
- Identification of several promising candidate quasicrystals, including in natural minerals.
Conclusions:
- The presented scheme provides a robust method for quasicrystal identification.
- The discovery of new candidates warrants further investigation.
- This work contributes to the field of materials discovery.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
X-ray Crystallography
The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
Crystallographic Point Groups
Crystallographic point groups represent the various symmetry operations that can occur within crystals. They are unique in that at least one point will always remain unchanged during these actions. For instance, consider the triclinic system. This system, devoid of any axis or plane of symmetry, aligns with the C1 and Ci point groups.where Cᵢ is characterized solely by a center of inversion.Contrastingly, the monoclinic system introduces an element of symmetry. This system with one plane and...
Law of Rational Indices
The Law of rational indices is a fundamental principle in the field of crystallography. According to this law, the intercepts of a crystal face along the crystallographic axes (the three-dimensional axes along which a crystal is measured) can be expressed as either equivalent to the unit intercepts (a, b, c) or simple whole number multiples of them. These multiples are typically denoted as na, n'b, and n''c, where n, n', and n'' are simple whole numbers.To illustrate, consider a crystal with...
Determination of Crystal Structures
In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...

