Study of geometrical local order in a non-ideal solid solution: an intermediary structure

Abstract

One of the key obstacles in the progress of certain aspects of solid-state physics is the determination of the nature of irregularities in the atomic network of matter and their correlation with macroscopic properties. In this work, an original structural result is presented, namely the presence of icosahedral clusters in an Al solid solution, as deduced from the analysis of the total Fourier-space image. This work has led to the belief that these non-crystalline clusters create a fundamental irregularity in the network of a non-ideal solid solution.