Title: Algebraic Approaches to Elementary Excitations in Media with Broken Spatial or Time-reversal Symmetry Author: Kay Condie Erb Institute: Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences Supervisor: Ing. Jiří Hlinka, Ph.D., Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences Abstract: Structural phase transitions with macroscopic symmetry breaking can be divided into 212 non-magnetic species according to the mutual spatial orien- tation of the point groups of both phases. Classification into the given species implies a set of universal transition properties such as the number of macroscopic domain states of the low-symmetry phase and their distinguishability by order parameter. In this work, the distinguishability of macroscopic domain states by all order pa- rameters which transform as vectors or vectorlike quantities (called bidirectors) was studied. For solving this task, a computer algorithm was designed which enabled an explicit listing of all vector and vectorlike order parameters, not only for the 212 non-magnetic species, but even for all 1602 magnetic species which includes transitions between crystallographic gray and bicolor point groups. In addition, irreducible representations of the 122 magnetic crystallographic point groups which transform as vectors or vectorlike quantities are...

Precession photography was used to determine the lattice parameters, the crystal system, the space group and the structure of an artificial Sr-labradorite of composition: Ab27, SrAn73. C= 7.107Å, Ɣ= 90 degrees, β= 115.834 degrees. The crystal system is monoclinic, space group= C2/ m and structure is albite type, reflections being restricted to the 'a' type. The abundance, lithophile characteristics and appropriate ionic radii of elements in Groups IA and IIA are the factors governing their presence as cations of feldspars in nature. The structures of feldspars are discussed as a function of the relative proportion of cations of a charge of +1 and +2. The crystal symmetry (i.e. monoclinicity or triclinicity) is discussed as a function of the ionic radius of the cation. / Thesis / Bachelor of Science (BSc)

Theoretical strength of solids is defined as the ultimate strength beyond which plastic deformation, fracture, or decohesion would occur. Understanding the microscopic origin from quantum mechanics and thermoelastic formulation is of great importance to mechanical properties and engineering design of various solids. While quite a few theory models have been made in the past century by several generations of scientists, including Frankel and Born, a general and convincing framework has not been fully established. We study this issue from three respects: (1) Unify various elastic stability criteria for solids that determine an upper bound of theoretical strength; (2) with ab initio method, we test the elastic stability conditions of crystal Au. The phenomenon of bifurcation is observed: under hydrostatic expansion, the rhombohedral modulus reaches zero first of all; while under uniaxial tensile stress, the tetragonal shear modulus first reaches zero; (3) propose a nonlinear theoretical formulation of stability criterion. As an analytic method, this scheme is quite simple, in the mean time, it saves computation resource.