Quasicrystals in a monodisperse system.
We investigate the formation of a two-dimensional quasicrystal in a monodisperse system, using molecular dynamics simulations of hard-sphere particles interacting via a two-dimensional square-well potential. We find that more than one stable crystalline phase can form for certain values of the square-well parameters. Quenching the liquid phase at a very low temperature, we obtain an amorphous phase. By heating this amorphous phase, we obtain a quasicrystalline structure with fivefold symmetry. From estimations of the Helmholtz potentials of the stable crystalline phases and of the quasicrystal, we conclude that the observed quasicrystal phase can be the stable phase in a specific range of temperatures.
Skibinsky
A
A
Center for Polymer Studies and Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Buldyrev
S V
SV
Scala
A
A
Havlin
S
S
Stanley
H E
HE