Tilting structures in spinels

The possible distortions in the spinel structure resulting from rotation of the tetrahedra and octahedra have been investigated by a group-theoretical method. The possibility of the existence of 28 phases of rotation of the tetrahedra and five phases of rotation of the octahedra has been shown. In all these phases the polyhedra are equivalent, but their orientation can be different. Among the phases of the tetrahedra rotation there is one phase of pure rotation, i.e. not accompanied by additional (not rotation) distortions of the structure. Of the five phases of the rotation of the octahedra three phases can be obtained only by pure rotation of the octahedra.