Axial crystals macroscopic symmetry and tensor properties

0479514 - FZÚ 2018 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Janovec, Václav
Axial crystals macroscopic symmetry and tensor properties.
Phase Transitions. Roč. 90, č. 1 (2017), s. 1-10. ISSN 0141-1594. E-ISSN 1029-0338
Institutional support: RVO:68378271
Keywords : axial * polar * pseudopolar * chiral * enantiomorphism * optical activity
OECD category: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.)
Impact factor: 1.028, year: 2017

Axial crystals have axial symmetry which keeps invariant straight line with a fixed point. Axial symmetry groups include 27 non-cubic crystallographic point groups and 5 limit groups describing symmetry of textures and liquid crystals. We show that, except for four cases, each axial symmetry belongs to one of five axial types: polar, chiral, pseudopolar (three basic axial types), directional (possessing none of characteristic properties of basic types) or rotational (exhibiting characteristic properties of all basic types). Each basic type can appear in two structurally different variants with the same symmetry. These variants can coexist and form a mesoscopic structure (antiparallel ferroelectric or chiral domain structure, mixture of enantiomers). We examine macroscopic properties of axial types and variants, and experimental accessivity of their characteristic features.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0275501