A displacive crystal distortion to lower symmetry that cooperatively removes a localized-electron
orbital
degeneracy at an array of like atoms so as to leave the atoms in the centre of symmetry of their
distorted sites. Example: The crystallographic distortion in
Mn3O4.
Source:
PAC, 1994, 66, 577
(Definitions of terms relating to phase transitions of the solid state (IUPAC Recommendations
1994))
on page 584
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by
A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997).
XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic,
J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.
