Transferable integrals in a deformation density approach to crystal calculations. I. Crystal harmonics and their properties

Abstract

AbstractThe term “crystal harmonic” is introduced to denote a symmetrized plane wave in the special case where the wave vector is a reciprocal lattice vector. Crystal harmonics, thus defined, have the translational symmetry of the lattice, and they also have the transformation properties of the irreducible representations of the crystal's point group. An expansion is derived expressing crystal harmonics in terms of spherical Bessel functions and in terms of the functions 𝒴𝓁,ξ (eigenfunctions of L2 which are also basis functions for IRS of the crystal's point group). A sum rule for the functions 𝒴𝓁,ξ is derived. Methods are given for expanding periodic functions of special symmetry in terms of crystal harmonics. Methods are also presented for calculating matrix elements of the potential in a crystal using crystal harmonics as a basis and for transforming to a STO basis. It is shown that the invariant component of the product of two crystal harmonics can be expressed as a sum of a few invariant crystal harmonics, and expressions for the coefficients in the sum are derived. Orthogonality with respect to summation over networks of points and normalization are also discussed. The properties mentioned above are illustrated in detail in the case of cubic crystals with point group Oh.