A Raman scattering study of long-wavelength optical phonons in hexagonal ammonium fluoride single crystals

All the predicted Raman active translatory vibrations of wurtzite ammonium fluoride (space group C⁴_6v are observed and assigned on the basis of their polarization selections obtained with single crystals. The fundamental ammonium ion librations could not be detected, but a frequency of about 545 cm^?1 is deduced from the analysis of the observed second order Raman spectrum.The TO-LO splitting for the A₁ and E₁ polar phonons is a lot more important than the A₁ — E₁ splitting (125 cm^?1 compared to 1–3 cm^?1); thus, the effect of long-range electric forces strongly dominates over that of the anisotropy of the shortrange interatomic forces. Only very weak directional dispersion could be detected on the quasi-mode spectra. From the observed TO and LO frequencies, one evaluates ?₀ ? 3.95 in good agreement with dielectric experimental data.