17th International Conference on Quasicrystals (ICQ17)
(Sendai, Japan, June 2028)
The 17th International Conference on Quasicrystals (ICQ17) will bring together researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds to present and discuss the latest advances in the theory, synthesis, characterization, and properties of quasicrystals, approximant crystals, and related complex materials. The conference aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and international collaboration, providing a platform for exchanging new ideas and exploring emerging directions that will shape the future of quasicrystal research in the years to come.
This conference continues the legacy of the premier international conference series dedicated to quasicrystals and related aperiodic order, which began in Les Houches, France (1986) and has since continued in Beijing, China (1987), Vista-Hermosa, Mexico (1989), St. Louis, USA (1992), Avignon, France (1995), Tokyo, Japan (1997), Stuttgart, Germany (1999), Bangalore, India (2002), Ames, USA (2005), Zürich, Switzerland (2008), Sapporo, Japan (2010), Krakow, Poland (2013), Kathmandu, Nepal (2016), Kranjska Gora, Slovenia (2019), Tel Aviv, Israel (2023), and Nancy, France (2025).
Venue
The conference’s main venue will be Sakura Hall on the Katahira campus of Tohoku University, located in the city center of Sendai. It is within walking distance of Sendai station (approximately 20 minutes). Bus routes and a subway line are also available.
Sendai is located about 350 kilometers north of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of Japan. It is easily accessible from Tokyo by Shinkansen (super express train), and from major cities such as Osaka, Nagoya, and Sapporo via domestic flights.
Scope
The scientific scope of ICQ17 encompasses all aspects of quasicrystals, periodic approximants, and related aperiodic and complex systems, including fundamental theory, experimental studies, materials discovery, and emerging applications. Topics include, but are not limited to:
Structure, Crystallography, and Mathematics
• Atomic structure of quasicrystals and approximants
• Higher-dimensional crystallography
• Underlying mathematics and tiling theories
Formation, Stability, and Metastability
• Formation mechanisms
• Thermodynamic stability and phase diagrams
• Growth, synthesis, and processing of quasicrystals and approximants
Physical and Chemical Properties
• Electronic, magnetic, optical, mechanical, and thermal properties
• Phonon and phason excitations and dynamics
•Chemical functionality and catalytic properties
Surface and Interface
• Thin-film quasicrystals
• Moiré systems
• Nanoparticle assemblies
Materials Discovery and Design
• New classes of quasicrystals, approximants, and complex metallic alloys
• Quasicrystal informatics and data-driven materials discovery
• Structural and electronic design principles
Natural, Extreme, and Mesoscopic Quasicrystals
• Natural quasicrystals
• Quasicrystals under extreme conditions (pressure, temperature, external fields)
• Mesoscopic and soft-matter quasicrystals
Experimental and Computational Methods
• Diffraction, spectroscopy, microscopy, and scattering techniques
• First-principles calculations, simulations, and modeling
Program
The scientific program will begin with a tutorial session, followed by the main oral sessions consisting of invited and contributed lectures, as well as poster sessions. The Scientific Program Committee will review all submitted abstracts for quality and relevance to determine whether they will be accepted for oral or poster presentations. The official language of the conference is English.
Awards
During the conference, the recipient of the 2028 Jean Marie Dubois Award for Excellence in Quasicrystal Research will be announced. The Jean Marie Dubois Award was established to recognize important, sustained research on any aspect of quasicrystals within the 10-year period preceding the award year. The award consists of a cash prize and a plaque, and is made possible by an endowment administered by the Iowa State University Alumni Foundation. The call for nominations will be released at the timing of the second circular.
Awards for outstanding oral and poster presentations by young scientists will also be offered at the conference. Further details will be announced in due course.
Important dates
Second circular: August 31, 2027
Abstract submission deadline: January 31, 2028
Bursary support application deadline: January 31, 2028
Early-bird registration deadline: March 31, 2028
Standard registration deadline: May 10, 2028
Manuscript submission deadline: August 31, 2028
Sign up for ICQ17
Committees
Organizing Committee: N. Fujita, H. Takakura, R. Tamura
Local Organizing Committee: S. Kameoka, K. Nawa, M. Aoyama
International Advisory Board of ICQ:J. Dolinsek, M. Feuerbacher, S. Förster, V. Fournée, N. Fujita, E. Gaudry, M. Imperor, N. Manibo, M. Mihalkovič, R. Tamura, R. Strzałka (J. Wolny), M. Widom, M. Engel, R. Lifshitz