Structure of the twofold surface of the icosahedral Ag–In–Yb quasicrystal

Abstract

The structure of the twofold surface of the icosahedral (i-)Ag-In-Yb quasicrystal has been investigated using low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The LEED confirms that the surface exhibits quasicrystalline long range order with the twofold rotational symmetry expected from the bulk. STM images reveal a step-terrace structure with terrace size comparable to that of the other high symmetry surfaces of the same quasicrystal. The distribution of step heights and high resolution STM images of terraces suggest that the surface terminates at bulk planes that intersect the center of rhombic triacontahedral clusters, the building blocks of the system, as in the case of the threefold and fivefold surfaces of the system. These planes are rich in Yb and In. No facets are observed on the surface, suggesting that the twofold surface is as stable as the other high symmetry surfaces.

Studies on icosahedral Ag–In–Yb: a prototype for Tsai-type quasicrystals

“…This viewpoint is consistent with the latest reports on the surface structure study of i-Ag-In-Yb. [52][53][54]…”

“…A systematic structure analysis has been reported of these surfaces using LEED and STM. [52][53][54]71 The structure and the stabilization mechanism of the clean surfaces were investigated on the basis of the bulk structure of i-Cd-Yb, the parent QC of i-Ag-In-Yb. Note that i-Ag-In-Yb is isostructural to i-Cd-Yb whose bulk structure is well understood, as mentioned in Section 2.…”

Adsorption of Pentacene on the 2–Fold Surface of the Icosahedral Ag–In–Yb Quasicrystal

“…As such, the structure of the 2fold iAgInYb surface is characterized by a rowstructure formed of atomic bands which appear along one of the 2fold axes. 27) Recent work showed that the Ag/In and Yb atoms produce different contrast in STM at different bias polarities. 28) In this paper, the growth of Pn on the 2fold surface of the (i)AgInYb is studied by STM.…”

Surface structure of the Ag-In-(rare earth) complex intermetallics

“…This is in agreement with observations on the Ag-In-Yb quasicrystal. All three high-symmetry surfaces (two-, three-, and fivefold) of this system are found to be terminated at a bulk plane containing In as the majority constituent [21][22][23]. We also present the density and composition of the surface region, including subsurface layers in Table III.…”