A decagonal quasicrystal with rhombic and hexagonal tiles decorated with icosahedral structural units

Abstract

The structure of a decagonal quasicrystal in the Zn58Mg40Y2 (at.%) alloy was studied using electron diffraction and atomic resolution Z-contrast imaging techniques. This stable Frank-Kasper Zn-Mg-Y decagonal quasicrystal has an atomic structure which can be modeled with a rhombic/hexagonal tiling decorated with icosahedral units at each vertex. No perfect decagonal clusters were observed in the Zn-Mg-Y decagonal quasicrystal, which differs from the Zn-Mg-Dy decagonal crystal with the same space group P10/mmm. Y atoms occupy the center of 'dented decagon' motifs consisting of three fat rhombic and two flattened hexagonal tiles. About 75% of fat rhombic tiles are arranged in groups of five forming star motifs, while the others connect with each other in a 'zigzag' configuration. This decagonal quasicrystal has a composition of Zn68.3Mg29.1Y2.6 (at.%) with a valence electron concentration (e/a) of about 2.03, which is in accord with the Hume-Rothery criterion for the formation of the Zn-based quasicrystal phase (e/a = 2.0-2.15).