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H. Euchner, M. de Boissieu et al.:
"Lattice dynamics of the icosahedral quasicrystals i-ZnMgSc and i-ZnAgSc and the cubic 1/1-approximant Zn6Sc";
Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 26 (2014), 5; 1 - 7.

A comparison of periodic approximants and their quasicrystalline counterparts offers the opportunity to better understand the structure, physical properties and stabilizing mechanisms of these complex phases. We present a combined experimental and computational study of the lattice dynamics of the icosahedral quasicrystals i-ZnMgSc and i-ZnAgSc and compare these to the lattice dynamics of the cubic 1/1-approximant Zn6Sc. The two phases, quasicrystal and approximant, are built up from the same atomic clusters, which are packed either quasiperiodically or on a body centered cubic lattice, respectively. Using inelastic neutron scattering and atomic scale simulations, we show that the vibrational spectra of these three systems are very similar, however, they contain a clear signature of the increasing structural complexity from approximant to quasicrystal.

quasicrystal, lattice dynamics

http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/26/5/055402