Vortex Quasi-Crystals

Abstract

There seems to be a one to one correspondence between the phases of atomic and molecular matter (AMOM) and vortex matter (VM) in superconductors. Crystals, liquids and glasses have been experimentally observed in both AMOM and VM. However, quasi-crystals also exist in AMOM, thus a new phase of vortex matter is proposed here: the vortex quasi-crystal. It is argued that vortex quasi-crystals are stabilized due to boundary and surface energy effects for samples of special shapes and sizes, and that a phase transition between a vortex crystal and a vortex quasi-crystal occurs as a function of magnetic field and temperature as the sample size is reduced.