FORMATION OF A DODECAGONAL QUASI-CRYSTALLINE PHASE IN A SIMPLE MONATOMIC LIQUID

An equilibrium uniaxial dodecagonal quasicrystal is reported to be formed by a freezing simple monatomic liquid in a molecular dynamics simulation. Its diffraction pattern closely resembles that of the dodecagonal quasicrystalline phase formed in V3Ni2 and V15Ni10Si alloys, and the high-resolution electron micrograph obtained for the latter is found to be consistent with the corresponding pattern of atomic layer in the simulated quasicrystal. The simulated structure is discussed in the context of existing models of quasicrystalline order.