Solid State Physics I NCKU Winter Semester 2022 Homework 1

Chapter 1 The Direct Lattice

TA: Jia-Tong Shih (施佳彤),∗ Yu-Ting Xiao (蕭妤庭), and Wun-Hao Kang (康文豪)
Lecturer: Prof. Ming-Hao Liu (劉明豪)

Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University

(Due: 15:10 on 13 October 2022)

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Note:

• Late submissions will not be accepted.

• Writing by hand or using computers are both fine. For those who use computers, however, your
homework should be printed. Submitting electronic files is not allowed.

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1. (12 points) Consider the following 3D Bravais lattices:

(a) Monoclinic
(b) Base-centered monoclinic
(c) Orthorhombic
(d) Body-centered orthorhombic

Properly choose the primitive vectors a1 , a2 , a3 for each lattice and check if the resulting unit cells
are primitive (unit cells that contain only one lattice point each).

2. (10 points) Find the packing fraction for bcc and fcc by considering a conventional cubic cell with
the lattice points replaced by spheres of the maximal size (such that the spheres touch each other
without overlapping).

3. (10 points) Consider a hexagonal lattice with a two-atom basis described by:
√ √
1 3 1 3
a1 = a( , , 0) , a2 = a(− , , 0) , a3 = (0, 0, c) ,
2 2 2 2 (1)
a c
d1 = (0, 0, 0) , d2 = (0, √ , ) ,
3 2
(a) Find the packing fraction for general a and c.
p
(b) Show that the packing fraction is maximized when c/a = 8/3.

4. (10 points) The number of nearest neighbors is known as coordination number. Find the coor-
dination number for bcc, fcc, hcp, and diamond structures. Note: You should make sketches and
explanations, instead of giving only the numbers.

5. (12 points) Consider two-dimensional lattices sketched in Figure 1 (each assumed to extend to
infinity). Which are Bravais lattices, and which not? For those that are not Bravais lattices, explain
why based on the concept of primitive lattices.

∗ [email protected]
 (a) (b) (c)

(d) (e) (f)

FIG. 1: Examples of 2D lattices.

6. (8 points) The lattice shown in Figure 1a is known as the Lieb lattice. Describe the lattice with
properly chosen primitive vectors and basis.

7. (8 points) The lattice shown in Figure 1f is known as the kagome lattice. Describe the lattice with
properly chosen primitive vectors and basis.

8. (10 points) A two-dimensional Bravais lattice is described by primitive vectors a1 = (a1 , φ1 ) and
a2 = (a2 , φ2 ) in polar coordinates.

(a) Explain why the lattice is a centered rectangular lattice when a1 = a2 with φ1 − φ2 being
arbitrary.
(b) Consider a1 6= a2 but φ2 − φ1 = π/4. Is this a centered rectangular lattice? Why?

9. (10 points) Describe the honeycomb lattice shown in Figure 1d by the following different descrip-
tions:
(a) A hexagonal lattice with a two-site basis.
(b) A rectangular lattice with a four-site basis.

10. (10 points) Window screens are usually in “square lattices” with their lattice spacing typically
larger than 1 mm that insects and dusts can easily pass through. New technologies have recently
reduced the lattice constant of window screens by one order of magnitude. Suppose the lattice
constant of a modern window screen is unknown. When two such window screens are stacked
and twisted with respect to each other, moiré patterns can be seen, as shown in Figure 2a. Use
the results shown in Figure 2b and apply the formula of the moiré wavelength derived on the
blackboard (on September 19th) to estimate the “lattice constant” of the measured window screen.

2
Two layers of modern window screens

(a)

Twisted bilayer

Monolayer

(b)

FIG. 2: Twisted bilayer of modern window screens.