Bravais lattice

In geometry and crystallography, a Bravais lattice, studied by Auguste Bravais (1850),[1] is an innite array of
discrete points generated by a set of discrete translation
operations described by:

a2

a2

a2

a1

a1

a1

|a1| |a2|, 90

|a1| |a2|, = 90

|a1| |a2|, 90

R = n1 a1 + n2 a2 + n3 a3
where ni are any integers and a are known as the primitive vectors which lie in dierent directions and span the
lattice. This discrete set of vectors must be closed under
vector addition and subtraction. For any choice of position vector R, the lattice looks exactly the same.

a2

a2

a1

a1

|a1| = |a2|, = 120

|a1| = |a2|, = 90

A crystal is made up of a periodic arrangement of one

or more atoms (the basis) repeated at each lattice point.
Consequently, the crystal looks the same when viewed
from any equivalent lattice point, namely those separated
by the translation of one unit cell (the motive).

The ve fundamental two-dimensional Bravais lattices: 1

oblique, 2 rectangular, 3 centered rectangular (rhombic), 4
hexagonal, and 5 square. In addition to the stated conditions,
the centered rectangular lattice fullls 2a2 a1 a1 . This orthogonality condition leads to the rectangular pattern indicated
and implies = 90 .

Two Bravais lattices are often considered equivalent if

they have isomorphic symmetry groups. In this sense,
there are 14 possible Bravais lattices in three-dimensional
space. The 14 possible symmetry groups of Bravais lattices are 14 of the 230 space groups.

Body-Centered (I): lattice points on the cell corners

with one additional point at the center of the cell

Face-Centered (F): lattice points on the cell corners

with one additional point at the center of each of the
faces of the cell

Bravais lattices in at most 2 dimensions

Base-Centered (A, B, or C): lattice points on the cell

corners with one additional point at the center of
each face of one pair of parallel faces of the cell

In zero-dimensional and one-dimensional space, there is

only one type of Bravais lattice.

Rhombohedral (R): lattice points on the cell corners

only where a = b = c and = = 90 (special
case for the rhombohedral lattice system)

In two-dimensional space, there are ve Bravais lattices: oblique, rectangular, centered rectangular (rhombic), hexagonal, and square.[2]
Not all combinations of lattice systems and lattice types
are needed to describe all of the possible lattices. If we
consider R equivalent to P, then there are in total 7 6
2 Bravais lattices in 3 dimensions = 42 combinations, but it can be shown that several of
these are in fact equivalent to each other. For example,
In three-dimensional space, there are 14 Bravais lattices. the monoclinic I lattice can be described by a monoclinic
These are obtained by combining one of the seven lattice C lattice by dierent choice of crystal axes. Similarly,
systems (or axial systems) with one of the seven lattice all A- or B-centred lattices can be described either by a
types (or lattice centerings). In general, the lattice sys- C- or P-centering. This reduces the number of combinatems can be characterized by their shapes according to tions to 14 conventional Bravais lattices, shown in the tathe relative lengths of the cell edges (a, b, c) and the an- ble below. The rhombohedral lattice is ocially assigned
gles between them (, , ). The lattice types identify the as type R in order to distinguish it from the hexagonal lattice in the trigonal crystal system. However, for simplicity
locations of the lattice points in the unit cell as follows:
this lattice is often shown as type P.
Primitive (P): lattice points on the cell corners only The volume of the unit cell can be calculated by evaluat(sometimes called simple)
ing a b c where a, b, and c are the lattice vectors. The
1

volumes of the Bravais lattices are given below:

Centred Unit Cells :

Bravais lattices in 4 dimensions

In four dimensions, there are 64 Bravais lattices. Of

these, 23 are primitive and 41 are centered. Ten Bravais
lattices split into enantiomorphic pairs.[3]

See also
Translational symmetry
Lattice (group)
classication of lattices
Miller Index
Translation operator (quantum mechanics)

References

[1] Aroyo, Mois I.; Ulrich Mller; Hans Wondratschek

(2006). Historical Introduction. International Tables for Crystallography (Springer) A1 (1.1): 25.
doi:10.1107/97809553602060000537. Retrieved 200804-21.
[2] Kittel, Charles (1996) [1953]. Chapter 1. Introduction
to Solid State Physics (Seventh ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. p. 10. ISBN 0-471-11181-3. Retrieved
2008-04-21.
[3] Brown, Harold; Blow, Rolf; Neubser, Joachim; Wondratschek, Hans; Zassenhaus, Hans (1978), Crystallographic groups of four-dimensional space, New York:
Wiley-Interscience [John Wiley & Sons], ISBN 978-0471-03095-9, MR 0484179

Further reading
Bravais, A. (1850). Mmoire sur les systmes forms par les points distribus rgulirement sur un
plan ou dans l'espace. J. Ecole Polytech. 19: 1
128. (English: Memoir 1, Crystallographic Society
of America, 1949.)
Hahn, Theo, ed. (2002). International Tables for
Crystallography, Volume A: Space Group Symmetry
A (5th ed.). Berlin, New York: Springer-Verlag.
doi:10.1107/97809553602060000100. ISBN 9780-7923-6590-7.

EXTERNAL LINKS

7 External links
Catalogue of Lattices (by Nebe and Sloane)
Smith, Walter Fox (2002). The Bravais Lattices
Song.

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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