Miller Indices & Crystallographic Planes

Materials Science

How It Works

Miller indices (h k l) constitute a standard reciprocal coordinate notation describing the spatial orientation of parallel planes in a crystal lattice. Calculated by taking the reciprocals of fractional axial intercepts along the unit cell edges and reducing them to integers, Miller indices determine interplanar spacing (d_{hkl}) and govern Bragg X-ray diffraction peaks.

Governing Equation
d_{hkl} = a / (√(h^2 + k^2 + l^2))