On the form and growth of complex crystals: The case of Tsai-type clusters

Abstract

Where are the atoms in complex crystals such as quasicrystals or periodic crystals with one hundred or more atoms per unit cell? How did they get there? The first of these questions has been gradually answered for many materials over the quarter-century since quasicrystals were discovered; in this paper we address the second. We briefly review a history of proposed models for describing atomic positions in crystal structures. We then present a revised description and possible growth model for one particular system of alloys, those containing Tsai-type clusters, that includes an important class of quasicrystals.