Searching for Natures Missing Crystal Structure

A recent report in Nature Materials inferred the existence of a few binary crystal structures never before observed or created. The crystal structures are simple derivative superstructures of the fcc lattice, with only 4 atoms/cell. One of these crystal structures, dubbed L1$_{3}$ by the author, has been predicted to exist in several binary intermetallic systems. To test these predictions, we used sputtering techniques to fabricate thin samples of Pt-Cd close to 3:1 stoichiometry. We analyzed the samples using electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction. We have found evidence of a new phase but are yet unable to confirm the exact ordering.