Spatially localized quasicrystalline structures

Abstract

Soft matter systems have been observed to self-assemble, over a range of system parameters, into quasicrystalline structures. The resulting quasicrystals (QCs) may minimize the free energy, and be in thermodynamic coexistence with the liquid state. At such state points, the likelihood of finding the presence of spatially localized states with quasicrystalline structure within the liquid is increased. Here we report the first examples of metastable spatially localized QCs of varying sizes in both two and three dimensions. Implications of these results for the nucleation of quasicrystalline structures are discussed. Our conclusions apply to a broad class of soft matter systems and more generally to continuum systems exhibiting quasipatterns.