Abstract:
An approach to determine the equilibrium morphology of quasicrystals
by using a superspace embedding is investigated. We discuss the case
of the Fibonnaci chain of atoms, a one-dimensional structure that can
be regarded both as a quasicrystal and as an incommensurately
modulated crystal. Consequently, two different ways can be followed
to find the equilibrium form. The results indicate that the description
as a
quasicrystal deals with the symmetry of the model in a more natural
way. An analogous method is applied to the case of the two-dimensional
octagonal quasicrystal. It is shown that the number of bonds cut by
a crystallographic face depends on its position in both the one- and the
two-dimensional case.