About the Metal-Insulator Transition in Quasicrystals

Electronic properties (conductivity and density of states) of quasicrystals present strong similarities with disordered semiconductor based systems on both sides of the Mott-Anderson metal-insulator (MI) transition. We revisit the conductivity of the i-AlCuFe and i-AlPdMn phases, which has temperature and magnetic field dependence characteristic of the metallic side of the transition. The i-AlPdRe ribbon samples can be on either side of the transition depending on their conductivity value. In all these i-phases, the density of states at the Fermi level EF is low. Its energy dependence close to EF is similar to disordered systems close to the MI transition where it is ascribed to effects of interactions between electrons and disorder.