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CHAPTER -2 CRYSTALLGRAPHY
Session 2 : Miller Indices of Planes and Directions
PLANES AND DIRECTIONS (MILLER INDICES) :
In discussing crystals, it is very useful to be able to refer to planes and directions within the lattice.
Planes :

The notation system generally adopted to identify a plane within the lattice uses a set of three
integers to describe the position of a plane within the lattice. The three integers describing a
particular plane are found in the following way –

1. Find the intercepts of the plane on three crystal axes (say X, Y, Z axes). Let these
intercepts be , , . Express these intercepts as multiples of basis vectors
i.e. p, q and r.
2. Take reciprocals of three numbers , , .

3. Convert these reciprocals into smallest set of integers h, k, l, which will have same ratio
relationship to each other as the three reciprocals.
4. The three integers h, k and l are called as miller indices.
Miller indices are written as (h k l).
e.g.

X Y Z
Z
Intercepts 1a 2b 3c

Multiples of
basis vectors 1 2 3

Reciprocals 1 1/2 1/3

Miller Indices 6 3 2

(h k l) = (6 3 2)
x

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Important Features of Miller Indices :

a) These three integers (h k l) define a set of parallel planes in the lattice.

b) The advantage of taking the reciprocals is avoidance of infinities in the notation. If a plane
is parallel to a certain axis, then its intercept on that axis will be infinity. But the reciprocal
of infinity is zero.
c) If an intercept occurs on negative branch of an axis, a minus sign is placed above the miller
index for convenience. e.g. ( h k l ) .
d) Miller indices for parallel planes are same. Hence, to find the integral intercepts for a
plane, we can move it without changing its orientation.
e) From a crystallographic point of view, many planes in a lattice are equivalent. That is, a
plane with given Miller Indices, can be shifted about in the lattice, simply by the choice of
the position and orientation of the unit cell. The indices of such equivalent planes are
enclosed in braces { } instead of parentheses. For example, in the cubic lattice of following
figure, all the cube faces are crystallo-graphically equivalent. The unit cell can be rotated
in various directions (or by the choice of crystal axes) each of these faces can have same
set of miller indices. These six faces are designated as {100}.

Some Basic Planes in Cubic structure:

Z Z Z

Y Y Y

X X X
(010) (011) (111)

Basic Planes in Simple Cubic Crystal

To draw given planes in cubic unit cell-

To draw given planes in cubic unit cell following procedure

i) Take reciprocals of the Miller indices
ii) Mark these reciprocals as intercepts on respective axes.
iii) Draw the plane by joining the intercepts.

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( 0 1 1)
X Y Z
1 Miller Index 0 1 1

Reciprocal / Y
∞ 1 1
Intercept

Z
( 1 2 1)
X Y Z
2 Miller Index 1 2 1
Y
Reciprocal / 1
1 1
Intercept 2
X

( 2 0 1)
X Y Z
3 Miller Index 2 0 1
Y
Reciprocal / 1
∞ 1
Intercept 2
X

Z
( 2 0 0)
X Y Z
4 Miller Index 2 0 0

Reciprocal / 1 Y
∞ ∞
Intercept 2
X

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( 1 2 3)
X Y Z
5 Miller Index 1 2 3

Reciprocal / 1 1 Y
1
Intercept 2 3
X

( 1 2 3) Y

X Y Z
6 Miller Index 1 2 3
X
Reciprocal / 1 1
1
Intercept 2 3

( 1 3 1)
Y
X Y Z
7 Miller Index 1 3 1
X
Reciprocal / 1
1 1
Intercept 3

( 1 1 1)
X Y Z
Y
8 Miller Index 1 1 1
X
Reciprocal /
1 1 1
Intercept

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RELATION BETWEEN INTERPLANAR SPACING AND CUBE EDGE a IN A CUBIC

CRYSTAL :

Inter-planar spacing is the perpendicular distance dhkl between the two successive parallel hkl
planes. Let dhkl be the distance between two adjacent parallel planes having Miller Indices (hkl).

Z
(hkl)
C

Interplanar Spacing
N
γ
β Y
O α B

A
X

Let the plane ABC be one of the planes that has intercepts OA, OB and OC on X, Y and Z axes
respectively.
a
∴ OA = ;
h
b
OB = ;
k
c
OC =
l

Let the next plane parallel to plane ABC passes through origin. Let ON be the perpendicular
drawn on plane ABC from O. Hence ON = dhkl represents inter-planar distance. Let α, β and γ be
the angles between the coordinate axes X, Y, Z and ON respectively. As we are considering the
cubic crystal, a = b = c = a. where a is length of the cube edge.

a a a
∴ OA = ; OB = ; OC = ----------------------(1)
h k l

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Since, ON ⊥ NA,
ON
d d⋅h
From ∆ ONA, we have cos α = == − − − − − − − − − − −(2)
aOA a
h
Similarly, From Δ ONB and from Δ ONC, we have
ON d d⋅k
cos β = = = − − − − − − − − − − − − − − −(3)
OBa a
k
ON d d⋅l
cos γ = = = − − − − − − − − − − − − − − −(4)
OC a a
l
Since, cos α + cos β + cos 2 γ
2 2
= 1, From (2), (3) and (4), we have -
d2 ⋅ h2 d2 ⋅ k2 d2 ⋅ l2
+ + = 1
a2 a2 a2

∴
d2
a 2
( )
h 2 + k 2 + l2 = 1

a2
∴ d2 =
(h 2 + k 2 + l 2 )
a
∴ d = − − − − − − − − − − − − − − −(5)
h + k 2 + l2
2

This relation gives us interplanar spacing in term of lattice constant and miller indices.
Miller indices of directions :

A direction in a lattice is expressed as a set of three integers with the same relationship as the
components of a vector in that direction. The three vector components are expressed in multiples
of basis vectors, and then the three integers are reduced to smallest set of integers retaining the
relationship between them.
e.g. [hkl] read as direction hkl, is the direction indicated by a vector ℎ + + from origin.

As in case of planes, many directions in a lattice are equivalent, depending only on the arbitrary
choice of orientation for the axes. Such equivalent direction indices are placed in angular brackets
< >. For example, the crystals axes in a cubic lattice [100], [010] and [001] are equivalent and are
called as <100> directions.

In cubic lattice, a direction [hkl] is perpendicular to the plane (hkl). This is convenient in analysis
of cubic unit cells. However, it is not necessarily true in non-cubic systems.

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Some Important Directions :

1 +1 +1 + +1 −1 +
Z
Z Z

Y Y Y

X [111] X [1 2 3] [1 2 1] X

Some directions in Cubic Unit Cell

1. Draw the following [ 0 11 ] , [ 1 2 1 ]

Z Z

[011]

1c [121]
-1b Y Y

[ 1 2 1 ] is indicated by a vector
X
1a+2b+1c i.e. 1/2a+1b+1/2c
X [ 0 1 1 ] is indicated by a vector
0a-1b+1c

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2. Draw the following [ 1 2 3 ] , ( 0 1 1 )

Z
Z

(011)
[12 3]

Y
Y

X X

[ 1 2 3 ] is indicated by a vector
For ( 0 1 1 ) plane, Intercepts on
1a-2b+3c i.e. 1/3a-2/3b+1c
X, Y, Z axes are ∞ , -1 and 1 resp.

3. Draw the following ( 1 2 1 ) , ( 1 2 3)

Z
Z

(121)

Y Y

For ( 1 2 1 ) plane, Intercepts on X

X
X, Y, Z axes are 1 , 1/2 and 1 resp. For ( 1 2 3 ) plane, Intercepts on
X, Y, Z axes are 1, -1/2 and 1/3 resp.

4. Silver has FCC structure and its atomic radius is 1.44 A0. Find the spacing of the (220),
(200) and (111) planes.
4r 4 × 1.44
For FCC structure, a = = = 4.073 A 0
2 2
a
Now, d hkl =
h + k 2 + l2
2

4.073
For (220) plane, d 220 = = 1.44 A 0
2 + 2 + 0
2 2 2

4.073
For (200) plane, d 200 = = 2.036 A 0
2 + 0 + 0
2 2 2

4.073
For (111) plane, d 111 = = 2.35 A 0
1 +1 +1
2 2 2

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5. A crystal lattice plane (326) makes an intercept of 1.5 A0 on X-axis in a crystal having
lattice constant 1.5 A0, 2 A0 and 2 A0 respectively on X, Y and Z axis. Find Y and Z
intercept.
Given : (h k l) = ( 3 2 6 )
a = 1.5 A0, b = 2 A0, c = 2 A0
a 1.5 A 0
Intercept on X - axis = = = 0.5 A 0
h 3
b 2A 0
Intercept on Y - axis = = = 1A0
k 2
c 2 A0 1 0
Intercept on Z - axis = = = A
l 6 3
But actual intercept on X - axis is given as 1.5 A 0
which is 3 times more than the actual intercept.
∴ intercept on Y - axis = 1 A 0 × 3 = 3 A 0
1 0
intercept on Z - axis = A × 3 = 1A0
3

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