Miller index

Miller indices form a notation system in crystallography for planes in crystal (Bravais) lattices.

In particular, a family of lattice planes is determined by three integers h, k, and ℓ, the Miller indices. They are written (hkℓ), and denote the family of planes orthogonal to , where are the basis of the reciprocal lattice vectors. (Note that the plane is not always orthogonal to the linear combination of direct lattice vectors because the reciprocal lattice vectors need not be mutually orthogonal.) By convention, negative integers are written with a bar, as in 3 for −3. The integers are usually written in lowest terms, i.e. their greatest common divisor should be 1.

There are also several related notations:

In the context of crystal directions (not planes), the corresponding notations are: