PHY.K02UF Molecular and Solid State Physics
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PHY.K02UF Molecular and Solid State Physics | ||||
In a crystal, atoms are arranged in straight rows in a three-dimensional periodic pattern. A small part of the crystal that can be repeated to form the entire crystal is called a unit cell. A small part of the crystal that can be repeated to form the entire crystal is called a unit cell. A primitive unit cell is the smallest collection of atoms that can be repeated on the Bravais lattice to form a crystal. Sometimes these primitive unit cells have odd shapes and crystallographers define a conventional unit cell that contains more atoms but has a simpler shape. The conventional unit cells are shown in the list of Bravais lattices.
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Devices such as solid-state transistors, lasers, solar cells, and light-emitting diodes are often made from single crystals. Many materials, including most metals and ceramics, are polycrystaline. This means there are many little crystals packed together where the orientation between the crystals is random. When the atoms of a material are not arranged in a regular pattern, it is called an amorphous material. An example of an amorphous material is glass. Even though not all solids are crystals, we will spend most of our time studying crystals since the translational symmetry makes them easier to describe mathematically. Describing the behavior of more complicatedmaterials usually builds on the understanding that has been acquired by studying crystals.
Some common crystal structures you should know
Reading
Kittel Chapter 1: Crystal Structure or R. Gross und A. Marx: Kristallstrucktur 1.1 - 1.2
You don't need to know all of the details of the symmetries in section 1.1.2 of Gross und A. Marx. We will deal with the symmetries in more detail in the lecture on crystal phyiscs. I will introduce the concept of the asymmetric unit which is not in these books but is an important concept for crystallography.
