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Applied Math Seminar
Quasicrystals - Some of nature's most intriguing forms of matter
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The discovery of quasicrystals in 1982 signaled the beginning of a remarkable scientific revolution, in which some of the most basic notions of condensed matter physics and material science have undergone a thorough reexamination. Two and a half decades later, the field continues to intrigue us with scientific puzzles, surprising discoveries, and new possibilities for applications. I will focus on some current issues from my own research - including soft matter quasicrystals and photonic applications based on metamaterials - but only after giving a concise overview for nonspecialists of what quasicrystals are, and why their discovery was so important. |