Diamagnetism in quasicrystals

A reliable explanation of diamagnetism in quasicrystals is given. We show that the weak diamagnetism in perfect icosahedral quasicrystals is due to an atomic-like diamagnetic contribution of tightly bound conduction electrons in electron pockets of a multiconnected Fermi surface. The Landau–Peierls diamagnetic term is small due to large effective masses. At temperatures above the Debye temperature the intervalley electron–phonon scattering makes the electrons ‘free’, and the temperature dependence of the Pauli paramagnetism related to a pseudogap in the density of states at the Fermi level becomes important.