Reciprocal lattice, Brillouin zone and Bragg condition
Reciprocal vectors obey a_i·b_j=2πδ_ij and G=Σ_i h_i b_i with integer h_i.
Key knowledge
Reciprocal vectors obey a_i·b_j=2πδ_ij and G=Σ_i h_i b_i with integer h_i. The first Brillouin zone is the reciprocal lattice's Wigner–Seitz cell. Elastic crystal diffraction requires k_out−k_in=G; the equivalent plane condition is 2d sinθ=nλ.
Values and equations
a_i·b_j=2πδ_ij; G=Σ_i h_i b_i; k_out−k_in=G; 2d sinθ=nλ
- a_i,d,λ
- Primitive length vectors, plane spacing and wavelength m
- b_i,G,k_in,k_out
- Reciprocal vectors/wavevectors m⁻¹
- h_i,n
- Integer labels/order
- δ_ij
- Kronecker delta
- θ
- Angle to lattice plane rad
Conditions and scope
- Ideal periodic lattice and elastic single-scattering geometry; θ is the angle to the planes, not total scattering angle 2θ.
- Reciprocal-vector convention includes 2π. Geometrically permitted peaks can vanish from the atomic basis or scattering selection rules.
Sources · 1
References
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Evidence and review
Solid State Physics: third-year lecture notes (2012): Sections 12.1–12.4, equations 12.1–12.4 and plane spacing 12.8; section 13.1 Laue/Bragg geometry and equivalence.
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Entry details
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