Crystal Structure Dr.

Palash Chandra Karmaker

Lattice: Lattice is defined as a regular periodic array of point in space. Each point in a lattice has
identical surrounding everywhere. Lattice is basically imaginary points on space with a periodic
manner.

Basis: A crystal structure is formed by associating every lattice point with an unit assembly of atoms
or molecules identical in composition, arrangement and orientation. This unit assembly is called the
`basis’.

Crystal structure = lattice + basis

Lattice Translation Vectors: Lattice Translation Vectors are three fundamental vectors in such
a way that all the lattice points in the crystal can be denoted. r= n1 a1+n2 a2+n3 a3.

Where n1,n2n3are integer numbers. And a1,a2,a3 are lattice translational vectors.
The lattice translation vector T is a vector, which can connect any two lattice points, and T can
be given as

T= n a1+ l a2+ m a3

Unit Cell: The metallic crystals can be considered as consisting of tiny blocks which are
represented in three dimensional patterns. The unit cell is a tiny block formed by the arrangement
of a small group of atoms. It is that volume of solid from which the entire crystal can be
constructed.

Primitive Cell: The smallest volume cell of crystal. We often use primitive lattice vectors to
define the axis of crystal. translation vectors are primitive vectors if these vectors form three
adjacent edges of parallelepiped of smallest volume.
CLASSIFICATION OF CRYSTAL STRUCTURE FOR METALLIC ELEMENTS:
The crystals of most metals have highly symmetrical structure with closed packed atoms. The
most common types of space lattice (or unit cells) with which metallic elements crystallize are
given below.

1. Body centered cubic structure (BCC).

2. Face centered cubic structure (FCC).
3. Hexagon close-packed structure (HCP).

Body centered cubic structure (BCC): Here the atoms are located at the corners of the cube
and one atom at its centre. This type of unit cell is found in metals like lithium, sodium,
potassium, barium, vanadium, molybdenum etc.

Face centred cubic structure (FCC): Here the atoms are located at the corners of the cube and
one atom at the centre of each face. This type of unit cell is found in metals like copper, silver,
gold, calcium, aluminium, lead etc.

Hexagon close packed structure (HCP): Here the unit cell has an atom at each of the twelve
corners of the hexagonal prism, one atom at the centre of each of the two hexagonal faces and
three atoms in the body of the cell. This type of unit cell is found in metals like zinc, lithium,
magnesium beryllium etc.
BCS Theory of Superconductivity:

A qualitative discussion of a successful theory of superconductivity was given by Bardeen,

Copper and Schrieffer, known as BCS theory after the initials of their names. This theory
accounts for all properties of superconductors.

(a) Electron –phonon Interaction: BCS theory showed that the basic interaction responsible for
superconductivity appears to be that of a pair of electrons by means of an interchange of virtual
phonons. This is explained as follows:-

Suppose an electron approaches a positive ion core. It suffers attractive coulomb interaction. Due
to this attraction ion core is set in motion and thus distorts that lattice. Let a second electron
come in the way of distorted lattice and interaction between the two occurs which lowers the
energy of the second electron. The two electrons therefore interact indirectly, via lattice
distortion or the phonon field, thus lowering the energy of electrons. This type of interaction is
called electron-lattice is quantized in terms of phonons the above interaction can also be
interpreted as electron –electron interaction through phonons. Let an electron of wave vector K
emits phonon q, which is absorbed by an electron of wave number K .K is thus scattered as K-q
and K as K –q the process being a virtual one. The nature of the resulting electron-electron
interactions depends on the relative magnitudes of the electronic energy change and the phonon
energy. If this phonon energy exceeds electronic energy, the interaction is attractive.

(b) Copper Pairs: The fundamental postulate of BCS theory is that the superconductivity occurs
when an attractive interaction mentioned above, between two electrons by means of a phonon
exchange, dominate the usual repulsive coulomb interaction. Two such electrons which interact
attractively in the phonon field are called copper pair.

(c) Coherence length: The paired electrons are not scattered and can maintain their coupled
motion up to certain distance called the coherence length. It is a measure of the distance within
which the gap parameter does not change very much in varying magnetic field.