Local symmetry dynamics in one-dimensional aperiodic lattices: a numerical study

Abstract

A unifying description of lattice potentials generated by aperiodic one-dimensional sequences is proposed in terms of their local reflection or parity symmetry properties. We demonstrate that the ranges and axes of local reflection symmetry possess characteristic distributional and dynamical properties which can be determined for every aperiodic binary lattice. A striking aspect of such a property is given by the return maps of sequential spacings of local symmetry axes, which typically traverse few-point symmetry orbits. This local symmetry dynamics allows for a classification of inherently different aperiodic lattices according to fundamental symmetry principles. Illustrating the local symmetry distributional and dynamical properties for several representative binary lattices, we further show that the renormalized axis spacing sequences follow precisely the particular type of underlying aperiodic order. Our analysis thus reveals that the long-range order of aperiodic lattices is characterized in a compellingly simple way by its local symmetry dynamics.