Twenty-five years of quasicrystals: Where are we now and what does the future hold?–A personal outlook

Abstract

Twenty-five years after the historic discovery of a real material exhibiting fivefold symmetry, the scientific field opened as a result is still robust and active. On the experimental side, it has been strengthened in recent years by new inputs coming from studies of transport properties, surface physics, coating technology, catalysis, etc. Its future probably relies upon combining these very exotic, but now extremely well documented materials with more conventional materials in composites, or challenging the discovery of new, or more exciting properties in a systematic screening of intermetallics compounds with untried compositions. An effort towards making quasicrystals better understood outside our own community has become mandatory with a view to developing the field.

Keywords:

• quasicrystals
• physical properties
• outlook

Acknowledgements

Financial support offered by the European Commission (contract n° NMP3-CT-2005-500145 CMA) to attend the conference is gratefully acknowledged.