Abstract
We present the first ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) surface study of single-grain icosahedral Ag–In–Yb quasicrystal by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). This new quasicrystal is found to exhibit surfaces with steps and terraces, upon suitable preparation conditions. The Fourier transform of high-resolution STM images and RHEED patterns reveal that the surface after annealing at appropriate temperatures retains quasicrystalline long-range order. The analysis of XPS data measured from this surface shows a near bulk chemical composition in the surface region.
Acknowledgements
APT and MS would like to gratefully acknowledge financial support from JST Solution-Oriented Research for Science and Technology (SORST).