PyCrystalField: software for calculation, analysis and fitting of crystal electric field Hamiltonians

PyCrystalField is a Python software package for calculating single-ion crystal electric field (CEF) Hamiltonians. This software can calculate a CEF Hamiltonian ab initio from a point charge model for any transition or rare earth ion in either the J basis or the LS basis, perform symmetry analysis to identify nonzero CEF parameters, calculate the energy spectrum and observables such as neutron spectrum and magnetization, and fit CEF Hamiltonians to any experimental data. The theory, implementation and examples of its use are discussed.

Net atomic charges, electric moments, and sign and magnitude of optical rotatory power in α-TeO2 at 296 K

Optical activity is determined from a point charge model in one enantiomorph of a chiral and semiconducting α-TeO2 crystal. Net atomic charges of Te and O atoms are iterated and electric moments derived. Second electric moments in the principal axis directions are calculated and their ratio is fitted by comparison with the corresponding ratio of the optical refraction indices. The components of the axial vectors are calculated and converted to the gyration tensor components. The optical rotatory power in the positive direction of the optic axis is determined, and the sense of optical rotation is defined from transformations of polar vectors of first rank of the TeO2 groups and visually confirmed in both enantiomorphs.