Explore Quasicrystal Growth: Penrose's Quantum Superposition Theory

[lark]

There are "quasicrystals" with fivefold symmetry in the crystal diffraction pattern. They're aperiodic in a systematic way, similar to Penrose tiles, which tile the plane in a five-ish way. The pattern doesn't have translational symmetry, but you can get the pattern to correspond as closely as you like with a translated copy, short of 100% correspondence, if you translate the copy far enough.

Penrose said in the "Emperor's New Mind" that he thought assembling such a quasicrystal would require quantum superpositions to be maintained, because the assembly can't be done locally. In order to assemble in the quasicrystal pattern, a molecule has to "know" about the state of other molecules assembling far away. He thinks that the quantum superposition may get reduced (quantum state reduction) into the low-energy quasicrystal state, once it's been found by the quantum superposition.

If true, it seems to me that you could illuminate the process of quantum state reduction by finding out what the size of domains in the quasicrystal is - where the faults are.

All this has been investigated, I think. Does anybody know what people have found out? What's the current thought about whether the quasicrystals are maintaining long-range superpositions while they're growing?

Laura

 

[eljose79]

, thank you for bringing up this interesting topic. As a scientist who specializes in crystallography, I have studied quasicrystals and their unique properties extensively. Quasicrystals are indeed fascinating structures with fivefold symmetry, and their aperiodic nature has puzzled scientists for decades.

Firstly, I want to clarify that quasicrystals are not technically considered crystals, as they do not have the long-range order of traditional crystals. However, they do exhibit diffraction patterns that are similar to crystals, hence the name "quasi-crystal."

The mechanism of formation for quasicrystals is still not fully understood, but there have been many studies and theories proposed. One of the most well-known theories is the "Penrose tiling" theory, which suggests that quasicrystals are formed through a process of "aperiodic tiling" of the plane. This theory is based on the idea that quasicrystals are formed by the assembly of smaller building blocks in a non-repetitive pattern.

Regarding the idea of quantum superpositions in the assembly of quasicrystals, there have been some studies that suggest this may be the case. However, there is still much debate and further research is needed to fully understand the role of quantum mechanics in the formation of quasicrystals.

In terms of the size of domains and fault structures in quasicrystals, there have been studies and observations that suggest the presence of defects and disordered regions in quasicrystals. These defects can affect the overall properties of the quasicrystal, such as its electrical conductivity and mechanical strength.

In conclusion, while there is still much to be discovered and understood about quasicrystals, there have been significant advancements in our understanding of their unique structures and properties. The role of quantum mechanics in their formation is still being explored, and further research and experiments will continue to shed light on this fascinating topic.