diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index dfb75c4..68d4200 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ authors = [
 version = "1.0.3"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 dependencies = [
-    "ase",
     "numpy",
     "matplotlib"
 ]
diff --git a/qse/__init__.py b/qse/__init__.py
index 00c108a..0a54582 100644
--- a/qse/__init__.py
+++ b/qse/__init__.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 __all__ = [
     "calc",
-    "cell",
+    "Cell",
     "draw",
     "lattices",
     "magnetic",
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 __version__ = importlib.metadata.version("qse")
 
+from qse.cell import Cell
 from qse.qbit import Qbit
 from qse.qbits import Qbits
 from qse.signal import Signal
diff --git a/qse/cell.py b/qse/cell.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85573c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qse/cell.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import numpy as np
+
+
+class Cell:
+    """
+    A class to represent a lattice cell.
+
+    Attributes
+    ----------
+    lattice_vectors : numpy.ndarray
+        A 3x3 matrix representing the lattice vectors.
+        Each row is a lattice vector.
+        Defaults to all zeros.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, lattice_vectors=None):
+        if lattice_vectors is None:
+            lattice_vectors = np.zeros((3, 3))
+        self.lattice_vectors = lattice_vectors
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return self.to_str()
+
+    @property
+    def lattice_vectors(self):
+        return self._lattice_vectors
+
+    @lattice_vectors.setter
+    def lattice_vectors(self, value):
+        value = np.array(value)
+        assert value.shape == (3, 3)
+        self._lattice_vectors = value
+
+    def rank(self):
+        """
+        Compute the rank of the cell.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        int
+            The rank of the cell.
+        """
+        return np.linalg.matrix_rank(self.lattice_vectors)
+
+    def volume(self):
+        """
+        Compute the volume of the cell.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        float
+            The cell volume.
+        """
+        return np.linalg.det(self.lattice_vectors)
+
+    def reciprocal(self):
+        """
+        Compute the reciprocal lattice vectors.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        numpy.ndarray
+            The reciprocal cell, calculated as 2π * inverse of the
+            transposed cell matrix.
+        """
+        return 2 * np.pi * np.linalg.inv(self.lattice_vectors.T)
+
+    def to_str(self):
+        return "\n".join(
+            [
+                " ".join(["{:10.5f}".format(val) for val in row])
+                for row in self.lattice_vectors
+            ]
+        )
diff --git a/qse/qbits.py b/qse/qbits.py
index a6eb2bf..35b83c0 100644
--- a/qse/qbits.py
+++ b/qse/qbits.py
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 from math import cos, sin
 
 import numpy as np
-from ase.cell import Cell
 
+from qse.cell import Cell
 from qse.qbit import Qbit
 from qse.visualise import draw as _draw
 
@@ -33,15 +33,11 @@ class Qbits:
     scaled_positions: list of scaled-positions
         Like positions, but given in units of the unit cell.
         Can not be set at the same time as positions.
-    cell: 3x3 matrix or length 3 or 6 vector
-        Unit cell vectors.  Can also be given as just three
-        numbers for orthorhombic cells, or 6 numbers, where
-        first three are lengths of unit cell vectors, and the
-        other three are angles between them (in degrees), in following order:
-        [len(a), len(b), len(c), angle(b,c), angle(a,c), angle(a,b)].
-        First vector will lie in x-direction, second in xy-plane,
-        and the third one in z-positive subspace.
-        Default value: [0, 0, 0].
+    cell: qse.Cell | 3x3 matrix
+        Unit cell vectors.
+        Either pass a matrix where each row corresponds to a lattice vector
+        or a qse.Cell object.
+        Default value is all zeros.
     pbc: one or three bool
         Periodic boundary conditions flags.  Examples: True,
         False, 0, 1, (1, 1, 0), (True, False, False).  Default
@@ -68,8 +64,7 @@ class Qbits:
     >>> xd = np.array(
     ...    [[0, 0, 0],
     ...     [0.5, 0.5, 0.5]])
-    >>> qdim = qse.Qbits(positions=xd)
-    >>> qdim.cell = [1,1,1]
+    >>> qdim = qse.Qbits(positions=xd, cell=np.eye(3))
     >>> qdim.pbc = True
     >>> qlat = qdim.repeat([3,3,3])
 
@@ -130,18 +125,17 @@ def __init__(
         self.new_array("labels", labels, "<U12")
 
         # cell
-        self._cellobj = Cell.new()
-        if cell is None:
-            cell = np.zeros((3, 3))
-        self.set_cell(cell)
+        if not isinstance(cell, Cell):
+            cell = Cell(cell)
+        self.cell = cell
 
         # positions
         if positions is None:
             if scaled_positions is None:
                 positions = np.zeros((len(self.arrays["labels"]), 3))
             else:
-                assert self.cell.rank == 3
-                positions = np.dot(scaled_positions, self.cell)
+                assert self.cell.rank() == 3
+                positions = np.dot(scaled_positions, self.cell.lattice_vectors)
         self.new_array("positions", positions, float, (3,))
 
         # states
@@ -194,83 +188,6 @@ def calc(self, calc):
         if hasattr(calc, "set_qbits"):
             calc.set_qbits(self)
 
-    def set_cell(self, cell, scale_qbits=False):
-        """
-        Set unit cell vectors.
-
-        Parameters
-        ----------
-        cell: 3x3 matrix or length 3 or 6 vector
-            Unit cell.  A 3x3 matrix (the three unit cell vectors) or
-            just three numbers for an orthorhombic cell. Another option is
-            6 numbers, which describes unit cell with lengths of unit cell
-            vectors and with angles between them (in degrees), in following
-            order: [len(a), len(b), len(c), angle(b,c), angle(a,c),
-            angle(a,b)].  First vector will lie in x-direction, second in
-            xy-plane, and the third one in z-positive subspace.
-        scale_qbits: bool
-            Fix qbit positions or move qbits with the unit cell?
-            Default behavior is to *not* move the qbits (scale_qbits=False).
-
-        Examples
-        --------
-        Two equivalent ways to define an orthorhombic cell:
-
-        >>> qbits = Qbits('He')
-        >>> a, b, c = 7, 7.5, 8
-        >>> qbits.set_cell([a, b, c])
-        >>> qbits.set_cell([(a, 0, 0), (0, b, 0), (0, 0, c)])
-
-        FCC unit cell:
-
-        >>> qbits.set_cell([(0, b, b), (b, 0, b), (b, b, 0)])
-
-        Hexagonal unit cell:
-
-        >>> qbits.set_cell([a, a, c, 90, 90, 120])
-
-        Rhombohedral unit cell:
-
-        >>> alpha = 77
-        >>> qbits.set_cell([a, a, a, alpha, alpha, alpha])
-        """
-
-        # Override pbcs if and only if given a Cell object:
-        # print('here', cell)
-        cell = Cell.new(cell)
-
-        if scale_qbits:
-            M = np.linalg.solve(self.cell.complete(), cell.complete())
-            self.positions[:] = np.dot(self.positions, M)
-
-        self.cell[:] = cell
-
-    def get_cell(self, complete=False):
-        """Get the three unit cell vectors as a `class`:ase.cell.Cell` object.
-
-        The Cell object resembles a 3x3 ndarray, and cell[i, j]
-        is the jth Cartesian coordinate of the ith cell vector."""
-        if complete:
-            return self.cell.complete()
-        return self.cell.copy()
-
-    def get_reciprocal_cell(self):
-        """
-        Get the three reciprocal lattice vectors as a 3x3 ndarray.
-
-        Returns
-        -------
-        np.ndarray
-            The reciprocal cell.
-
-        Notes
-        -----
-        The commonly used factor of 2 pi for Fourier
-        transforms is not included here.
-        """
-
-        return self.cell.reciprocal()
-
     @property
     def nqbits(self):
         return len(self)
@@ -372,12 +289,11 @@ def copy(self):
 
     def todict(self):
         """For basic JSON (non-database) support."""
-        # d = dict(self.arrays)
         d = {}
         d["labels"] = self.arrays["labels"]
         d["positions"] = self.arrays["positions"]
         d["states"] = self.arrays["states"]
-        d["cell"] = self.cell  # np.asarray(self.cell)
+        d["cell"] = self.cell
         d["pbc"] = self.pbc
 
         return d
@@ -425,13 +341,8 @@ def __repr__(self):
             txt = "pbc={0}".format(self.pbc[0])
         tokens.append(txt + ",\n")
 
-        cell = self.cell
-        if cell:
-            if cell.orthorhombic:
-                cell = cell.lengths().tolist()
-            else:
-                cell = cell.tolist()
-            tokens.append("cell={0}".format(cell) + ",\n")
+        tokens.append("cell=\n{0}".format(self.cell.to_str()) + ",\n")
+
         if self._calc is not None:
             tokens.append("calculator={0}".format(self._calc.__class__.__name__))
         txt = "{0}(\n{1}{2})".format(
@@ -560,7 +471,7 @@ def __imul__(self, m):
         if isinstance(m, int):
             m = (m, m, m)
 
-        for x, vec in zip(m, self.cell):
+        for x, vec in zip(m, self.cell.lattice_vectors):
             if x != 1 and not vec.any():
                 raise ValueError("Cannot repeat along undefined lattice " "vector")
 
@@ -576,10 +487,12 @@ def __imul__(self, m):
             for m1 in range(m[1]):
                 for m2 in range(m[2]):
                     i1 = i0 + n
-                    positions[i0:i1] += np.dot((m0, m1, m2), self.cell)
+                    positions[i0:i1] += np.dot((m0, m1, m2), self.cell.lattice_vectors)
                     i0 = i1
 
-        self.cell = np.array([m[c] * self.cell[c] for c in range(3)])
+        self.cell.lattice_vectors = np.array(
+            [m[c] * self.cell.lattice_vectors[c] for c in range(3)]
+        )
 
         new_shape = tuple(self.shape * np.array(m))
         self.shape = new_shape
@@ -783,20 +696,18 @@ def rotate(self, a, v="z", center=(0, 0, 0), rotate_cell=False):
             c * p - np.cross(p, s * v) + np.outer(np.dot(p, v), (1.0 - c) * v) + center
         )
         if rotate_cell:
-            rotcell = self.get_cell()
-            rotcell[:] = (
-                c * rotcell
-                - np.cross(rotcell, s * v)
-                + np.outer(np.dot(rotcell, v), (1.0 - c) * v)
+            self.cell.lattice_vectors = (
+                c * self.cell.lattice_vectors
+                - np.cross(self.cell.lattice_vectors, s * v)
+                + np.outer(np.dot(self.cell.lattice_vectors, v), (1.0 - c) * v)
             )
-            self.set_cell(rotcell)
 
     def _centering_as_array(self, center):
         if isinstance(center, str):
             if center.lower() == "cop":
                 center = self.get_centroid()
             elif center.lower() == "cou":
-                center = self.get_cell().sum(axis=0) / 2
+                center = self.cell.lattice_vectors.sum(axis=0) / 2
             else:
                 raise ValueError("Cannot interpret center")
         else:
@@ -1188,16 +1099,6 @@ def __ne__(self, other):
         else:
             return not eq
 
-    def get_volume(self):
-        """Get volume of unit cell."""
-        if self.cell.rank != 3:
-            raise ValueError(
-                "You have {0} lattice vectors: volume not defined".format(
-                    self.cell.rank
-                )
-            )
-        return self.cell.volume
-
     def _get_positions(self):
         """Return reference to positions-array for in-place manipulations."""
         return self.arrays["positions"]
@@ -1243,16 +1144,6 @@ def _set_labels(self, lbs):
         _get_labels, _set_labels, doc="Attribute for direct manipulation of labels"
     )
 
-    @property
-    def cell(self):
-        """The :class:`ase.cell.Cell` for direct manipulation."""
-        return self._cellobj
-
-    @cell.setter
-    def cell(self, cell):
-        cell = Cell.ascell(cell)
-        self._cellobj[:] = cell
-
     def write(self, filename, format=None, **kwargs):
         """Write qbits object to a file.
 
diff --git a/tests/qse/cell_test.py b/tests/qse/cell_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6901cd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qse/cell_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+
+import qse
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "cell, expected",
+    [
+        (4.232 * np.eye(3), np.eye(3) / 4.232),  # square
+        (
+            np.array(  # rectangular
+                [
+                    [1.0, 0.0, 0.0],
+                    [0.0, 2.0, 0.0],
+                    [0.0, 0.0, 1.0],
+                ]
+            ),
+            np.array(
+                [
+                    [1.0, 0.0, 0.0],
+                    [0.0, 1.0 / 2.0, 0.0],
+                    [0.0, 0.0, 1.0],
+                ]
+            ),
+        ),
+        (
+            np.array(  # hex
+                [
+                    [1.0, 0.0, 0.0],
+                    [0.5, 0.5 * np.sqrt(3), 0.0],
+                    [0.0, 0.0, 1.0],
+                ]
+            ),
+            np.array(
+                [
+                    [1.0, -1.0 / np.sqrt(3), 0.0],
+                    [0.0, 2.0 / np.sqrt(3), 0.0],
+                    [0.0, 0.0, 1.0],
+                ]
+            ),
+        ),
+        (
+            0.5
+            * np.array(  # fcc
+                [
+                    [0.0, 1.0, 1.0],
+                    [1.0, 0.0, 1.0],
+                    [1.0, 1.0, 0.0],
+                ]
+            ),
+            np.array(
+                [
+                    [-1.0, 1.0, 1.0],
+                    [1.0, -1.0, 1.0],
+                    [1.0, 1.0, -1.0],
+                ]
+            ),
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_reciprocal_cell(cell, expected):
+    """Test the reciprocal method."""
+    cell = qse.Cell(cell)
+    r_cell = cell.reciprocal() / (2 * np.pi)
+    assert np.allclose(r_cell, expected)
+
+    # Check the two cells are orthonormal
+    assert np.allclose(cell.lattice_vectors @ r_cell.T, np.eye(3))
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("lattice_size", [1.0, 2.2, 3.11, 10.333])
+def test_volume(lattice_size):
+    """Test the volume method."""
+    cell = qse.Cell(np.eye(3) * lattice_size)
+    assert np.isclose(cell.volume(), lattice_size**3)
diff --git a/tests/qse/lattices_test.py b/tests/qse/lattices_test.py
index a9e421b..e93e77a 100644
--- a/tests/qse/lattices_test.py
+++ b/tests/qse/lattices_test.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def _lattice_checker(
     assert np.isclose(qbits.get_all_distances()[0][1:].min(), lattice_spacing)
 
     # Check the cell
-    assert np.allclose(qbits.cell, expected_cell)
+    assert np.allclose(qbits.cell.lattice_vectors, expected_cell)
 
     # Check the positions
     assert np.allclose(qbits.positions, expected_positions)
diff --git a/tests/qse/qbits_methods_test.py b/tests/qse/qbits_methods_test.py
index 3163b91..13c7e47 100644
--- a/tests/qse/qbits_methods_test.py
+++ b/tests/qse/qbits_methods_test.py
@@ -404,68 +404,3 @@ def test_repeat(nqbits, repeats):
 
     ps = np.array(ps)
     assert np.allclose(ps, qbits.positions)
-
-
-@pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "cell, expected",
-    [
-        (4.232 * np.eye(3), np.eye(3) / 4.232),  # square
-        (
-            np.array(  # rectangular
-                [
-                    [1.0, 0.0, 0.0],
-                    [0.0, 2.0, 0.0],
-                    [0.0, 0.0, 1.0],
-                ]
-            ),
-            np.array(
-                [
-                    [1.0, 0.0, 0.0],
-                    [0.0, 1.0 / 2.0, 0.0],
-                    [0.0, 0.0, 1.0],
-                ]
-            ),
-        ),
-        (
-            np.array(  # hex
-                [
-                    [1.0, 0.0, 0.0],
-                    [0.5, 0.5 * np.sqrt(3), 0.0],
-                    [0.0, 0.0, 1.0],
-                ]
-            ),
-            np.array(
-                [
-                    [1.0, -1.0 / np.sqrt(3), 0.0],
-                    [0.0, 2.0 / np.sqrt(3), 0.0],
-                    [0.0, 0.0, 1.0],
-                ]
-            ),
-        ),
-        (
-            0.5
-            * np.array(  # fcc
-                [
-                    [0.0, 1.0, 1.0],
-                    [1.0, 0.0, 1.0],
-                    [1.0, 1.0, 0.0],
-                ]
-            ),
-            np.array(
-                [
-                    [-1.0, 1.0, 1.0],
-                    [1.0, -1.0, 1.0],
-                    [1.0, 1.0, -1.0],
-                ]
-            ),
-        ),
-    ],
-)
-def test_reciprocal_cell(cell, expected):
-    """Test the get_reciprocal_cell method."""
-    qbits = qse.Qbits(cell=cell)
-    r_cell = qbits.get_reciprocal_cell()
-    assert np.allclose(r_cell, expected)
-
-    # Check the two cells are orthonormal
-    assert np.allclose(cell @ r_cell.T, np.eye(3))