Electronic contribution to electric field gradient (EFG) inβ-Ga has been calculated for the first time using the band wave functions. The results show that the magnitudes of the quadrupole resonance frequency and the net EFG agree with experiment to within 7% and 2% respectively.

We report for the first time the Compton profiles of electron momentum distribution inβ-gallium calculated along the crystallographic directions (100), (110) and (111). The conduction electron states for this purpose are determined in the energy band calculations using model potential. The core states, on the other hand, are represented each by a single tight-binding function. The results show that the Compton profiles are nearly isotropic with very little directional dependence, which is suggestive of a free-electron-like distribution of the conduction electrons in this system. The latter conclusion is in close confirmity with similar conclusions drawn in augmented plane wave (APW) calculation of energy bands and the derived Knight-shift results inβ-Ga.