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Crystal Structure: BITS Pilani

The document discusses crystal structures and symmetry in crystals. It begins by defining a Bravais lattice as an infinite array of discrete points with a periodic structure that looks the same from any point. It then discusses the primitive vectors that generate the body-centered cubic and face-centered cubic lattices. It also defines a primitive unit cell as the smallest repeating unit that fills all of space without overlaps. The document covers unit cells, space lattices in 3D, Wigner-Seitz cells, and the classification of crystal lattices based on symmetry properties like inversion and possible rotation axes. It concludes with examples of 2D lattice types and a discussion of symmetry in crystal patterns.

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Krishna Karthick
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52 views

Crystal Structure: BITS Pilani

The document discusses crystal structures and symmetry in crystals. It begins by defining a Bravais lattice as an infinite array of discrete points with a periodic structure that looks the same from any point. It then discusses the primitive vectors that generate the body-centered cubic and face-centered cubic lattices. It also defines a primitive unit cell as the smallest repeating unit that fills all of space without overlaps. The document covers unit cells, space lattices in 3D, Wigner-Seitz cells, and the classification of crystal lattices based on symmetry properties like inversion and possible rotation axes. It concludes with examples of 2D lattice types and a discussion of symmetry in crystal patterns.

Uploaded by

Krishna Karthick
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CRYSTAL STRUCTURE

BITS Pilani
Hyderabad Campus

Meenakshi Viswanathan

Bravais Lattice
Summarizes only the geometry of the underlying periodic structure, regardless of what the actual units may be.
(a) An infinite array of discrete points with an arrangement and orientation that appears exactly the same from whichever of the points the array is viewed

(b) All points with position vectors of the form R = n1a1+n2a2+n3a3 ai are primitive vectors generate the lattice ni are integers

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

BCC Primitive Vectors

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

FCC Primitive Vectors


z

2 y 3

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Primitive Unit Cell

A primitive cell or primitive unit cell is a volume of space that when translated through all the vectors in a Bravais lattice just fills all of space without either overlapping itself or leaving voids. A primitive cell must contain precisely one lattice point.
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Unit Cell

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Primitive Cell of Space Lattice in 3-D

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Wigner Seitz Cell


All primitive cells have the same area (volume) Primitive cell minimum volume cell

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Wigner Seitz Cell


Truncated Octahedron

Rhombic dodecahedron
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Classification of Crystal Lattice


SYMMETRY
Inversion All Bravais lattices are inversion symmetric Reflection Rotation only 2, 3, 4 & 6 fold rotations are possible

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Rotation Axis
If an object come into self-coincidence through smallest non-zero rotation angle of then it is said to have an n-fold rotation axis where

3600

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Possible 2-D Lattice types


Unlimited number of possible lattice types no restrictions on the lengths of the lattice translation vectors or on the angle between them.
Oblique lattice arbitrary a1 and a2 and is invariant only under a rotation of and 2 about any lattice point.

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

2D lattice

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Possible 2-D Lattice types

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

SYMMETRY IN CRYSTALS
One of the beautiful qualities of solids is that they are often crystals of extraordinary regularity and shape. There are also other regular patterns one sees often, e.g., tile on a floor. Below are three figures of typical tile patterns. Imagine that each pattern extends to infinity in all directions.

Describe any symmetry that you see in each of the patterns.


For example, the pattern on the top left is the same if it is rotated by 180 degrees. Thus it is symmetric under 180 degree rotations. Are there other rotations that leave the pattern the same? Are there reflections that leave the pattern the same, i.e., if a mirror were placed vertically on the floor in a certain orientation, would the pattern look the same in the mirror?

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

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