Anderson localization of electron states in a quasicrystal

The influence of disorder on the critical electron states in a quasiperiodic lattice is subject intense research. In this work, we report occurrence Anderson localization an icosahedral (i) polygrain quasicrystal Al-Pd-Re due to site using hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, resistivity, and density functional theory (DFT). Photoemission spectroscopy shows that enhanced at Fermi level $i$-Al-Pd-Re compared single-grain $i$-Al-Pd-Re. contrast, conductivity former order magnitude reduced latter, indicating these are localized. DFT originate primarily from Re $5d$-Pd $4d$ hybridization compositional difference, but broadened because brings about localization. This established by Mott variable range hopping behavior conductivity, estimated length 23 \AA{}.