Crystal growth of quasicrystal and partial phase diagram involving quasicrystal in the Ag–In–Yb system

Abstract

An isothermal section of the partial Ag–In–Yb phase diagram, involving the icosahedral quasicrystalline (i-QC) phase and its corresponding 2/1 and 1/1 approximants (AP) at 823 K, has been determined. The i-QC, 2/1 and 1/1 AP exist in the compositional region around Ag₄₂In₄₂Yb₁₆, Ag₄₁In₄₄Yb₁₅ and Ag₄₀In₄₆Yb₁₄, respectively. In a way similar to the Cd–Yb system, the i-QC in the present system forms congruently from the melt at around 890 K. On the basis of the phase diagram, a large single grain of i-QC with a diameter of 10 mm was obtained by using the Bridgman method.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. S. Kameoka, Dr. N. Fujita and Dr. C.P. Gomez for valuable discussions and suggestions.