Fivefold rotational symmetry cannot exist in true crystals, which explains the stir produced by the discovery in 1984 of a solid, called quasicrystal, which exhibits this forbidden symmetry, combined with properties that were considered characteristic of crystals. In the present article, we discuss this novel type of organization in condensed matter at an elementary level, and briefly comment on some observed specific physical properties and potential industrial applications of quasicrystals.
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