Designing a minimal Landau model to stabilize desired quasicrystals

Interparticle interactions with multiple length scales play a pivotal role in the formation and stability of quasicrystals. Choosing a minimal set of length scales to stabilize a given quasicrystal is a challenging problem. To address this challenge, we propose a symmetry-preserving screening method...

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Main Authors: Wei Si, Shifeng Li, Pingwen Zhang, An-Chang Shi, Kai Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2025-04-01
Series:Physical Review Research
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.023021
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author Wei Si
Shifeng Li
Pingwen Zhang
An-Chang Shi
Kai Jiang
author_facet Wei Si
Shifeng Li
Pingwen Zhang
An-Chang Shi
Kai Jiang
author_sort Wei Si
collection DOAJ
description Interparticle interactions with multiple length scales play a pivotal role in the formation and stability of quasicrystals. Choosing a minimal set of length scales to stabilize a given quasicrystal is a challenging problem. To address this challenge, we propose a symmetry-preserving screening method (SPSM) to design a Landau theory with a minimal number of length scales—referred to as the minimal Landau theory—that includes only the essential length scales necessary to stabilize quasicrystals. Based on a generalized multiple-length-scale Landau theory, SPSM first evaluates various spectral configurations of candidate structures under a hard constraint. It then identifies the configuration with the lowest free energy. Using this optimal configuration, SPSM calculates phase diagrams to explore the thermodynamic stability of desired quasicrystals. SPSM can design a minimal Landau theory capable of stabilizing the desired quasicrystals by incrementally increasing the number of length scales. Our application of SPSM has not only confirmed known behaviors in 10- and 12-fold quasicrystals but also led to a significant prediction that quasicrystals with 8-, 14-, 16-, and 18-fold symmetry could be stable within three-length-scale Landau models.
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spelling doaj-art-7e2e8429bc9a40b396bf1c2b8b76c0fe2025-08-20T02:08:47ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Research2643-15642025-04-017202302110.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.023021Designing a minimal Landau model to stabilize desired quasicrystalsWei SiShifeng LiPingwen ZhangAn-Chang ShiKai JiangInterparticle interactions with multiple length scales play a pivotal role in the formation and stability of quasicrystals. Choosing a minimal set of length scales to stabilize a given quasicrystal is a challenging problem. To address this challenge, we propose a symmetry-preserving screening method (SPSM) to design a Landau theory with a minimal number of length scales—referred to as the minimal Landau theory—that includes only the essential length scales necessary to stabilize quasicrystals. Based on a generalized multiple-length-scale Landau theory, SPSM first evaluates various spectral configurations of candidate structures under a hard constraint. It then identifies the configuration with the lowest free energy. Using this optimal configuration, SPSM calculates phase diagrams to explore the thermodynamic stability of desired quasicrystals. SPSM can design a minimal Landau theory capable of stabilizing the desired quasicrystals by incrementally increasing the number of length scales. Our application of SPSM has not only confirmed known behaviors in 10- and 12-fold quasicrystals but also led to a significant prediction that quasicrystals with 8-, 14-, 16-, and 18-fold symmetry could be stable within three-length-scale Landau models.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.023021
spellingShingle Wei Si
Shifeng Li
Pingwen Zhang
An-Chang Shi
Kai Jiang
Designing a minimal Landau model to stabilize desired quasicrystals
Physical Review Research
title Designing a minimal Landau model to stabilize desired quasicrystals
title_full Designing a minimal Landau model to stabilize desired quasicrystals
title_fullStr Designing a minimal Landau model to stabilize desired quasicrystals
title_full_unstemmed Designing a minimal Landau model to stabilize desired quasicrystals
title_short Designing a minimal Landau model to stabilize desired quasicrystals
title_sort designing a minimal landau model to stabilize desired quasicrystals
url http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.023021
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