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Related Concept Videos

Law of Rational Indices01:29

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...
Unit Cells01:18

Unit Cells

A crystal's internal structure is an orderly array of atoms, ions, or molecules, and the details of this array significantly influence the solid's properties. In a crystal, periodically repeating 'structural motifs' - which could be atoms, molecules, or groups thereof - create a 'space lattice.' This is essentially a three-dimensional, infinite array of points, each surrounded by its neighbors in an identical way, forming the basic structure of the crystal.A 'unit cell' is a theoretical...
The Seven Crystal Systems: Overview01:24

The Seven Crystal Systems: Overview

Crystals with various point group symmetries belong to different crystal classes, which are synonymous terms. Despite being in the same class, crystals may have distinct shapes, like cubes and octahedra. There are 32 three-dimensional point groups, all of which are systematically divided into seven crystal systems.The basic cubic crystal system, exemplified by NaCl, features orthogonal vectors (α = β = �� = 90°) of equal lengths (a = b = c). When specific requirements are not imposed on the...
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Point, Line and Plane Defects01:25

Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Point, Line and Plane Defects

A perfect crystal, in theory, has a uniform structure with the same unit cell and lattice points throughout. However, any deviation from this periodic arrangement is known as an imperfection or defect. These defects can be categorized into three types: point, line, and plane defects.Point defects occur when there is a deviation from the ideal due to missing atoms, displaced atoms, or additional atoms. These imperfections might occur due to imperfect packing during crystallization or because of...
Ionic Crystal Structures02:42

Ionic Crystal Structures

Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Lattice Centering and Coordination Number02:33

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

The structure of a crystalline solid, whether a metal or not, is best described by considering its simplest repeating unit, which is referred to as its unit cell. The unit cell consists of lattice points that represent the locations of atoms or ions. The entire structure then consists of this unit cell repeating in three dimensions. The three different types of unit cells present in the cubic lattice are illustrated in Figure 1.
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...

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Gummelt versus Lück decagon covering and beyond. Implications for decagonal quasicrystals.

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Rapid Repetition Rate Fluctuation Measurement of Soliton Crystals in a Microresonator
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Why are quasicrystals quasiperiodic?

Walter Steurer1

  • 1Laboratory of Crystallography, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. steurer@mat.ethz.ch

Chemical Society Reviews
|May 24, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Researchers have advanced the study of stable quasicrystals and their properties. However, fundamental questions about quasicrystal formation, growth, and stability remain open, requiring further investigation.

Area of Science:

  • Condensed matter physics
  • Materials science
  • Crystallography

Background:

  • Significant progress in quasicrystal research over the last two decades.
  • Quasiperiodic ordering observed in intermetallic compounds and mesoscopic systems (e.g., polymers, liquid crystals, colloids).
  • Despite advancements, fundamental questions regarding formation, growth, and stability persist.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current research on stable quasicrystals.
  • To address open questions concerning the origin of quasiperiodicity.
  • To provide an introduction to the field for researchers.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of quasicrystal research.
  • Synthesis of findings on structure determination and physical properties.

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Fabrication of 1-D Photonic Crystal Cavity on a Nanofiber Using Femtosecond Laser-induced Ablation
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Fabrication of 1-D Photonic Crystal Cavity on a Nanofiber Using Femtosecond Laser-induced Ablation

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Rapid Repetition Rate Fluctuation Measurement of Soliton Crystals in a Microresonator
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  • Identification of unresolved questions in quasicrystal formation and stability.

    • Main Results:

    • Quasicrystals are now recognized beyond intermetallic compounds, appearing in diverse mesoscopic systems.
    • Understanding of quasicrystal structures and physical properties has improved.
    • Key challenges remain in fully explaining quasicrystal formation, growth, and stability.

    Conclusions:

    • The field of quasicrystals has expanded significantly in scope and understanding.
    • Further research is needed to answer fundamental questions about quasicrystal origins.
    • This review serves as a guide to current knowledge and future research directions.