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Each crystallographic point group defines the (geometric) crystal class of the crystal. The point group of a crystal determines, among other things, the directional variation of physical properties that arise from its structure, including optical properties such as birefringency , or electro-optical features such as the Pockels effect .
Point groups in three dimensions, sometimes called molecular point groups after their wide use in studying symmetries of molecules. They come in 7 infinite families of axial groups (also called prismatic), and 7 additional polyhedral groups (also called Platonic). In Schönflies notation, Axial groups: C n, S 2n, C nh, C nv, D n, D nd, D nh
A reflection plane m within the point groups can be replaced by a glide plane, labeled as a, b, or c depending on which axis the glide is along. There is also the n glide, which is a glide along the half of a diagonal of a face, and the d glide, which is along a quarter of either a face or space diagonal of the unit cell.
Finite spherical symmetry groups are also called point groups in three dimensions. There are five fundamental symmetry classes which have triangular fundamental domains: dihedral, cyclic, tetrahedral, octahedral, and icosahedral symmetry. This article lists the groups by Schoenflies notation, Coxeter notation, [1] orbifold notation, [2] and order.
These groups are characterized by i) an n-fold proper rotation axis C n; ii) n 2-fold proper rotation axes C 2 normal to C n; iii) a mirror plane σ h normal to C n and containing the C 2 s. The D 1h group is the same as the C 2v group in the pyramidal groups section. The D 8h table reflects the 2007 discovery of errors in older references. [4]
For example, in its ground (N) electronic state the ethylene molecule C 2 H 4 has D 2h point group symmetry whereas in the excited (V) state it has D 2d symmetry. To treat these two states together it is necessary to allow torsion and to use the double group of the molecular symmetry group G 16 .
The following space groups have inversion symmetry: the triclinic space group 2, the monoclinic 10-15, the orthorhombic 47-74, the tetragonal 83-88 and 123-142, the trigonal 147, 148 and 162-167, the hexagonal 175, 176 and 191-194, the cubic 200-206 and 221-230.
Its elements are the elements of group C n, with elements σ v, C n σ v, C n 2 σ v, ..., C n n−1 σ v added. D n. Generated by element C n and 180° rotation U = σ h σ v around a direction in the plane perpendicular to the axis. Its elements are the elements of group C n, with elements U, C n U, C n 2 U, ..., C n n − 1 U added. D nd ...