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Crystal Period Vectors under External Stress in Statistical Physics

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Submitted:

10 August 2020

Posted:

19 August 2020

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Abstract
For crystals under external stress and temperature, a general equation to determine their period vectors (cell edge vectors) was derived based on the principles of statistical physics. This equation applies to both classical systems and quantum systems. It is consistent and can be combined with the previously derived one in the Newtonian dynamics. The existing theory for crystals under external pressure is covered as a special case. The new equation is also the mechanical equilibrium condition and the equation of state for crystals under external stress and temperature. It should be helpful in studying piezoelectric and piezomagnetic materials, since the period vectors change with external stress. For linear elastic crystals, it is the microscopic and temperature-dependent form of the generalized Hooke's law, therefore, it can be used to calculate the corresponding elastic constants, for given temperatures.
Keywords: 
crystal structure; equation of period vectors; external stress; equilibrium condition; equation of state for crystals; piezoelectricity; piezomagnetism; generalized Hooke's law
Subject: 
Physical Sciences  -   Condensed Matter Physics
Copyright: This open access article is published under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, which permit the free download, distribution, and reuse, provided that the author and preprint are cited in any reuse.

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