763628S CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS Problem Set 2 Spring 2012

1. Hexagonal closepacked lattice a) Verify that the basis vectors a1 = (a, 0, 0) , a2 =

a a 3 , ,0 2 2

, a3 = (0, 0, c) ,
a , a ,c 2 2 3 2

v1 = (0, 0, 0) , v2 =

result in placing atoms directly over the centers of triangles along the c axis. b) Verify that the hcp lattice forms a closepacked structure when c/a = 8/3. 2. Glide and screw axes a) The hcp lattice contains a screw axis in the c direction. Decribe the Cartesian coordinates of a point through which this axis can pass, so that the lattice remains invariant under translation along c by c/2 followed by rotation through 60 degrees. b) The hcp also has a glide plane parallel to a plane containing both the a and c axes. Describe where this plane may be located, so that translation along c/2 followed by reection about the plane leaves the lattice invariant.

3. Bravais lattices In each of the following cases, indicate whether the structure is a Bravais lattice. If it is, give three primitive vectors; if not, describe it as a Bravais lattice with as small as possible a basis. a) Basecentered cubic (simple cubic with additional points in the centers of the horizontal faces).

b) Sidecentered cubic (simple cubic with additional points in the centers of the vertical faces). b) Edgecentered cubic (simple cubic with additional points at the midpoints of the lines joining nearest neighbors). 4. Bragg peaks Check that the gure below indeed corresponds to a Bragg peak, i.e. q k0 k = K , where K is a reciprocal lattice vector.

5. Reciprocal lattice Let a1 , a2 , and a3 be the primitive vectors of a Bravais lattice, and b1 , b2 , and b3 the primitive vectors of the corresponding reciprocal lattice. a) Using the construction b1 = 2 a2 a3 a1 (a2 a3 ) (+c.p.) ,

show that the reciprocal lattice of the fcc lattice is bcc with lattice spacing 4/a, and vice versa. b) Find the reciprocal lattice vectors of smallest magnitude for simple cubic, fcc, and bcc lattices, and write down their Miller indices. Show that these correspond to planes in the direct lattice whose distance is d = 2/K .