noun
- solid materials whose atoms are arranged in ordered but non-repeating patterns, having properties between those of crystals and amorphous solids
Usage: scientific; materials science
Examples
- Scientists discovered quasicrystals in meteorites from outer space.
- The unique structure of quasicrystals makes them useful in specialized coatings.
- Quasicrystals exhibit five-fold symmetry, which is impossible in regular crystals.
- Research on quasicrystals earned Dan Shechtman the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
- These quasicrystals have unusual electrical and thermal properties.
- The formation of quasicrystals challenges traditional crystallography theories.