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The seven lattice systems and their Bravais lattices in three dimensions. In geometry and crystallography, a Bravais lattice, named after Auguste Bravais (), [1] is an infinite array of discrete points generated by a set of discrete translation operations described in three dimensional space by
A lattice system is a set of Bravais lattices (an infinite array of discrete points). Space groups (symmetry groups of a configuration in space) are classified into crystal systems according to their point groups, and into lattice systems according to their Bravais lattices.
The fourteen three-dimensional lattices, classified by lattice system, are shown above. The crystal structure consists of the same group of atoms, the basis, positioned around each and every lattice point. This group of atoms therefore repeats indefinitely in three dimensions according to the arrangement of one of the Bravais lattices.
The letters A, B and C were formerly used instead of S. When the centred face cuts the X axis, the Bravais lattice is called A-centred. In analogy, when the centred face cuts the Y or Z axis, we have B- or C-centring respectively. [5] The fourteen possible Bravais lattices are identified by the first two letters:
Orthorhombic lattices result from stretching a cubic lattice along two of its orthogonal pairs by two different factors, resulting in a rectangular prism with a rectangular base (a by b) and height (c), such that a, b, and c are distinct. All three bases intersect at 90° angles, so the three lattice vectors remain mutually orthogonal.
The Bravais lattice of the space group is determined by the lattice system together with the initial letter of its name, which for the non-rhombohedral groups is P, I, F, A or C, standing for the principal, body centered, face centered, A-face centered or C-face centered lattices. There are seven rhombohedral space groups, with initial letter R.
In either case, there are 3 lattice points per unit cell in total and the lattice is non-primitive. The Bravais lattices in the hexagonal crystal family can also be described by rhombohedral axes. [4] The unit cell is a rhombohedron (which gives the name for the rhombohedral lattice). This is a unit cell with parameters a = b = c; α = β = γ ...
The black-white Bravais lattices characterize the translational symmetry of the structure like the typical Bravais lattices, but also contain additional symmetry elements. For black-white Bravais lattices, the number of black and white sites is always equal. [ 24 ]