Quasicrystals are Functionally Graded Materials

Abstract

Quasicrystals exhibit long-range order without translational periodicity, posing challenges to compute their electronic properties. Here we show that a quasicrystal can be represented exactly as a periodic approximant with a spatially graded phason, establishing a connection to functionally graded materials. Building on this connection, we develop a controlled quantum theory of quasicrystals. We derive a state-dependent control parameter governed by the quantum metric of local Bloch states, determining when finite approximations are reliable. We further construct a Hamiltonian that correctly predicts Bragg gap positions, quasimomentum equivalence, and quasiperiodic eigenstates to all orders in phason strain within a finite Fourier window. We verify the theory numerically and propose a diffraction-based experimental test of the gap shift induced by phason strain. Our framework opens a route to predicting the electronic structure and functional properties of quasicrystals using methods developed for functionally graded materials.