Lattice Dynamical Properties of Potassium

Abstract

The phonon dispersion, temperature dependence of the Debye temperature, Debye-Waller factor, and Grüneisen parameter of potassium are calculated using a realistic lattice dynamical model. The model considers short range pairwise forces effective upto second neighbors and an improved electron ion interaction on the lines of Bhatia. An equilibrium condition, which preserves the crystal stability, is obtained. The theoretical results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental values.