The following topics will be included in the Programme of the MSIT Advanced School on Crystallography.

• Symmetry 

Point groups, translation groups, space groups, description of crystal structures, non-uniqueness of the description of a crystal structure in terms of choice of unit cell and origin; standardization; transformation between different crystal structure descriptions.

• Diffraction 

General principles; techniques: X-ray and neutron diffraction (powder and single-crystal), (selected-area) electron diffraction, electron backscatter diffraction. Relation between crystal structure and diffraction information. Phase identification, structure refinement, role of symmetry.

• Microstructure 

Defects/microstructure features of 0-3 dimensions. (Metastable) equilibria involving microstructure. Special diffraction effects due to microstructure, interfering with conventional structure determination.

• DFT Calculations 

Energy landscape of crystals as determined by first principles calculations. Elastic constants, phonon dispersion. Energies due to different variations of structure.

• Thermodynamics of Crystal Structure. Examples from Different Structure Classes 

Using classes of simple crystal structures (closest-packed structures and their superstructures and polytypes, bcc and its superstructures, ionic structures), structure determining principles are discussed with focus on the thermodynamics in the background. The latter determines the formation of characteristic structures within one class, which rely on “simple” thermodynamics determining the energy space of relevant candidate structures (different competing polytypes or superstructures).

• "Ask the Experts" sessions  

Lecturers will answer your practical questions from your daily work.

* Detailed Programme will be published in June 2024, please check this page later.