Single-crystal x-ray diffraction from an icosahedral quasicrystal

Abstract

Single-crystal x-ray diffraction measurements made on a millimeter-size single icosahedral quasicrystal of an Al–Li–Cu alloy are reported. The point symmetries observed directly by real-time transmission Laue x-ray diffraction and the measured angles between the major symmetry axis are consistent with an icosahedral quasicrystal, and the peaks observed in the single-crystal diffraction scans are found to be indexable with six indices that belong to a primitive icosahedral Bravais quasilattice.