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The reciprocal lattice is ${\Lambda }^{\ast }=\{G:G\cdot \ell \in 2\pi \mathbb{Z}\text{ for every }\ell \in \Lambda \}$. With oriented primitive-cell volume $v_c=a_1\cdot (a_2\times a_3)$, its basis is $b_1=2\pi (a_2\times a_3)/v_c$ and the cyclic variants; thus $b_i\cdot a_j=2\pi {\delta }_{ij}$.

The total potential is $V(x)={\sum }_{\ell }U(x-\ell )$. Using the Fourier transform convention $\tilde{U}(q)=\int e^{-iq\cdot x}U(x)d^{3}x$, translation gives $\tilde{V}(q)=\tilde{U}(q)\Delta (q)$, withThe given Born approximation therefore supplies the amplitude $\boxed{-m\Delta (q)\tilde{U}(q)/(2\pi {\hslash }^2)}$. A finite geometric series gives, when the denominators are nonzero,At reciprocal-lattice vectors each phase is one, so $|\Delta |=N_1{N}_2{N}_3$, the number of atoms. For large finite crystals these narrow peaks represent coherent Bragg scattering, with peak intensity proportional to the squared number of atoms; their finite width reflects the finite crystal size.

For the specified face-centered cubic lattice, $v_c=a^3/4$ andThe reciprocal lattice have coordinates $(2\pi /a)(h,k,l)$ with $h,k,l$ all even or all odd. The two shortest nonzero length families are $G_1=2\pi \sqrt{3}/a$ for $(111)$ and $G_2=4\pi /a$ for $(200)$. Elastic scattering satisfies $|q|=2|k|\sin (\theta /2)$. The assumed incident magnitude exceeds $G_2/2$, so both families are kinematically accessible, andThis is the angular prediction for suitable crystal orientations, or for a powder containing those orientations. A fixed single-crystal orientation must additionally satisfy the vector Elastic Bragg scattering condition $2k\cdot G+|G{|}^2=0$; the magnitude bound alone cannot guarantee both peaks for every incident direction.

Let the Bravais lattice have primitive vectors $a_1,a_2,a_3$, and putThe reciprocal lattice has the basisThe scalar triple product and cross product identities giveConsequently every $q={\sum }_j{n}_j{b}_j$ satisfies $q\cdot l\in 2\pi \mathbb{Z}$ for every lattice point $l={\sum }_i{m}_i{a}_i$, and conversely these three conditions force the coefficients of $q$ in the reciprocal basis to be integers. This proves that the displayed vectors generate ${\Lambda }^{\ast }$.

In the Born approximation, suppose that the crystal potential is the sum of translates of one atomic potential $V_0$ over the finite set $S$ of lattice sites. Its Fourier transform at the momentum transfer $Q=k-k^{\prime }$ factors asThus the single-atom scattering amplitude is multiplied by the crystal lattice structure factor $\Delta (Q)$. Writingseparates the sum into three finite geometric series. For $l_i=-L_i/2,\dots ,L_i/2$ this givesWhen the $L_i$ are large, a factor has a sharp maximum when ${\alpha }_i=2\pi n_i$. All three factors are therefore simultaneously large precisely when $Q\in {\Lambda }^{\ast }$. These are the reciprocal-lattice peaks of a finite crystal.

For the stated Body-centered cubic lattice basis,the reciprocal-basis formula givesEquivalently,The shortest nonzero reciprocal vectors have squared Euclidean norm $2(2\pi /a{)}^2$, so

In elastic scattering, $|k|=|k^{\prime }|=k$. If $q=k-k^{\prime }\in {\Lambda }^{\ast }$ and $\theta$ is the angle between $k$ and $k^{\prime }$, Euclidean geometry givesThe first possible diffraction peak therefore occurs atas $ka\to \infty$, by the small-angle approximation. This is the elastic Bragg scattering condition for the shortest reciprocal-lattice vector.