Recent Advances in Quasicrystal Research

Abstract

The study of quasicrystals – materials that are characterized by their aperiodic yet long-range ordered structures^1-5 – continues to evolve, offering new challenges and opportunities in understanding complex-ordered systems that transcend traditional crystallography. They have emerged as a rich interdisciplinary field, encompassing mathematics, physics, chemistry, and materials science. This introduces the additional challenge of bridging varied research communities, each with its distinct language and culture. Central to the investigation of quasicrystals are mathematical tools that describe their intricate geometric and topological properties, physical models that capture their unique electronic and other physical properties, as well as innovative experimental methods that can be employed to analyze their unique and complex nature. This special issue of the Israel Journal of Chemistry is dedicated to the latest advancements in quasicrystal research, presented at ICQ15 – the 15th International Conference on Quasicrystals – held on the campus of Tel Aviv University in June 2023 (see Fig. 1 for a group photo). It offers a valuable snapshot of the current state of quasicrystal research, highlighting the progress made in recent years and the challenges that lie ahead. The collection of Reviews and Research Articles, included here, spans a broad spectrum of topics, reflecting the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of quasicrystal research, providing a good entry point, as well as some deep insight, into the theoretical, experimental and practical underpinnings of aperiodic long-range order.