Optical conductivity of the stable icosahedral quasicrystal Al63.5Cu24.5Fe12
Abstract
The optical properties of the stable icosahedral quasicrystal Al63.5Cu24.5Fe12 have been measured from 40 to 25 000 cm-1 at 300 and 80 K. Unlike metallic glasses with a Drude spectrum with strong elastic scattering by disorder, or semiconductors with a conductivity gap, the optical conductivity of this quasicrystal is distinctive: Starting from the very low dc value, it increases linearly with frequency well into the near infrared. A prominent peak in the conductivity is observed at 245 cm-1; its position and strength suggest that it arises from a direct excitation of phonons.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- November 1991
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.67.2694
- Bibcode:
- 1991PhRvL..67.2694H
- Keywords:
-
- Aluminum Alloys;
- Crystal Optics;
- Icosahedrons;
- Metal Crystals;
- Optical Properties;
- Conductivity;
- Copper Alloys;
- Iron Alloys;
- Solid-State Physics;
- 78.30.Er;
- 61.42.+h;
- 63.50.+x;
- 71.55.Jv;
- Solid metals and alloys;
- Vibrational states in disordered systems;
- Disordered structures;
- amorphous and glassy solids