| Abstract: | Considerably improved possibilities are now available for the investigation of the optical vibrations in lattice compounds by Raman and IR spectroscopy. These spectra can be interpreted on the basis of the models and findings of molecular vibration spectroscopy. For simple lattice types simple frequency equations are found for the optical lattice vibrations with in-phase vibration motions in all unit cells (wave vector k = 0). As an approximation, the force constants that occur in these equations may be interpreted as stretching force constants. For typical ionic lattices, the influence of Coulomb forces due to the lattice polarization that occurs during the vibrational motion must be taken into account. As is shown by the example of some spinels, the assignment of lattice vibrations can be facilitated by model calculations. |
