"In crystallography, crystal structure is a description of the ordered arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystalline material."
The arrangement of atoms, ions or molecules within a crystal.
Symmetry: The study of symmetry in crystalline structures, including point groups, space groups, and crystal systems.
Bravais lattices: The 14 possible 3D lattice structures that are used to describe the periodic arrangement of atoms in a crystal.
Miller indices: A method for describing the orientation of planes or directions within a crystal structure.
Crystallographic databases: The use of databases such as the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) or the Protein Data Bank (PDB) to search for and analyze crystal structures.
X-ray diffraction: The use of X-rays to study the crystal structure of materials, including crystallography, scattering, and diffraction techniques.
Neutron diffraction: A similar method to X-ray diffraction, but using neutrons instead of X-rays to study the atomic structure of materials.
Electron microscopy: The use of high-resolution electron microscopes to map the crystal structure of materials.
Crystal growth techniques: Methods such as Bridgman, Czochralski, and float zone techniques used to grow large, high-quality crystals for study.
Crystal defects: The study of defects in crystal structures, including point defects, line defects, and surface defects.
Crystallographic software: The use of software such as Vesta, Jmol, and Materials Studio to simulate and analyze crystal structures.
Band theory: The study of electronic structure in solids, including the formation of bands of allowed and forbidden energy levels.
Phonons: The study of vibrational modes in solids, including lattice vibrations and phonon dispersion.
Magnetic properties: The study of magnetic ordering and spin interactions in crystalline materials.
Optical properties: The study of light interactions with crystalline materials, including the development of optical devices and sensors.
Defects and impurities: The study of the role of defects and impurities in the properties of crystalline materials, including doping and surface interactions.
Phase transitions: The study of changes in physical or chemical properties of crystalline materials at different temperatures or pressures, including phase changes and critical phenomena.
Materials design: The use of crystallographic principles and modeling software to design new materials with desired properties for specific applications.
Cubic: The atoms or ions are arranged in a simple cubic, body-centered cubic, or face-centered cubic structure.
Hexagonal: The atoms or ions are arranged in a close-packed hexagonal arrangement.
Tetragonal: The atoms or ions are arranged in a simple tetragonal structure, where the lattice is elongated along one axis.
Orthorhombic: The atoms or ions are arranged in a rectangular array, where the lengths of the three axes are different.
Monoclinic: The atoms or ions are arranged in a triclinic structure, but one of the axes (usually the b-axis) is inclined relative to the other two.
Triclinic: The atoms or ions are arranged in a non-primitive crystal with no symmetry.
Rhombohedral: The atoms or ions are arranged in a close-packed array, but the lattice is not quite cubic due to a rhombohedral distortion.
Amorphous: The atoms or ions are arranged in a disordered or glass-like structure.
Liquid crystal: The molecules are arranged in a semi-ordered structure that exhibits both solid and liquid-like properties.
Quasicrystal: The atoms or ions are arranged in a pattern that has long-range order but no translational symmetry.
Chiral: The atoms or ions are arranged in a non-superimposable mirror image, leading to unique optical properties.
Perovskite: A type of cubic structure with the general formula ABX3, where A and B are cations and X is an anion, commonly used in materials science.
Spinel: A type of cubic structure with the general formula AB2X4, where A and B are cations and X is an anion, commonly used in materials science.
Garnet: A type of cubic structure with the general formula A3B2X3O12, where A and B are cations and X is an anion, commonly used in materials science.
Wurtzite: The atoms or ions are arranged in a hexagonal structure, commonly found in certain semiconductors and other materials.
Rock salt: A type of cubic structure with a simple 1:1 ratio of cations and anions, commonly found in ionic compounds.
Spodumene: A type of monoclinic structure with the general formula LiAlSi2O6, commonly found in lithium-ion battery materials.
Olivine: A type of orthorhombic structure with the general formula (Mg,Fe)2SiO4, commonly found in certain minerals and as a cathode material in lithium-ion batteries.
Rutile: The atoms or ions are arranged in a tetragonal structure, commonly found in certain minerals and as a catalyst material.
Zinc blende: A type of cubic structure with a 1:1 ratio of cations and anions, commonly found in certain semiconductors and other materials.
"Ordered structures occur from the intrinsic nature of the constituent particles to form symmetric patterns that repeat along the principal directions of three-dimensional space in matter."
"The smallest group of particles in the material that constitutes this repeating pattern is the unit cell of the structure."
"The unit cell completely reflects the symmetry and structure of the entire crystal, which is built up by repetitive translation of the unit cell along its principal axes."
"The translation vectors define the nodes of the Bravais lattice."
"The lengths of the principal axes, or edges, of the unit cell and the angles between them are the lattice constants, also called lattice parameters or cell parameters."
"The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups."
"All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space may be described by the 230 space groups."
"The crystal structure and symmetry play a critical role in determining many physical properties, such as cleavage, electronic band structure, and optical transparency."
"The ordered arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystalline material is determined by the crystal structure."
"The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups."
"The unit cell completely reflects the symmetry and structure of the entire crystal."
"The lengths of the principal axes, or edges, of the unit cell and the angles between them are the lattice constants."
"The translation vectors define the nodes of the Bravais lattice."
"The unit cell is built up by repetitive translation along its principal axes."
"The crystal structure and symmetry play a critical role in determining many physical properties."
"All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space may be described by the 230 space groups."
"The crystal structure and symmetry play a critical role in determining many physical properties, such as cleavage, electronic band structure, and optical transparency."
"The ordered arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules is the fundamental feature of crystal structures."
"Ordered structures occur from the intrinsic nature of the constituent particles to form symmetric patterns that repeat along the principal directions of three-dimensional space."