Finite-Temperature Elasticity Phase Transition in Decaconal Quasicrystals

Abstract

We present evidence for a novel finite-temperature phase transition in the phason elasticity of quasicrystals. A tiling model for energetically stabilized decagonal quasicrystals has been studied in an extensive series of Monte Carlo simulation. Hamiltonian (energetics) of the model is given by nearest-neighbor Penrose-like matching rules between three dimensional unit cells. A new order parameter and diagnostics have been introduced. We show that a transition from locked phason to unlocked phason dynamics occurs at finite temperature. In the unlocked phase, phasons can be thermodynamically excited even though the quasicrystal is energetically stabilized at low temperatures.