Here is a claim worth testing: "A large single crystal of copper

PHYSICS · Subjective · Fermi University Physics · Condensed Matter, Materials & Soft Matter · Crystal structure, bonding and diffraction · Crystal structure, bonding and diffraction

Condensed Matter Physics, Ch The reciprocal lattice and the Brillouin zone

Problem

Here is a claim worth testing: "A large single crystal of copper, a millimetre across, must have a more finely spaced reciprocal lattice than a tiny copper nanocrystal only

4\,\mathrm{nm}

across, because the big one has so many more unit cells." Is this claim right? Find the phase-drift tolerance

2\pi/L

(Section 2.6) for both crystals, with

L

the length of each and, for scale, the number of copper unit cells (

a=3.615\,\mathrm{\mathring{A}}

) spanning it, and say what, if anything, actually differs between the two crystals in reciprocal space.

Browse the problem library