Ab Initio Structure Determination of Quasicrystals via Single Crystal X-Ray Diffraction

ABSTRACTA standard approach for structure solution of ordinary crystals begins with solving the phase problem. We show that a similar procedure can be taken even in the case of quasicrystals using single crystal X-ray diffraction by applying an ab initio structure determination method called the low density elimination method. The first picture of the occupation domains, which must be specified in a higher-dimensional structure determination of quasicrystals, is obtained from a phase-reconstructed density. We present six-dimensional densities determined by this method and give their interpretation for several different types of icosahedral quasicrystals.