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Phonons: The second type of quantum excitations discovered
Author(s) -
Cardona M.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
annalen der physik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1521-3889
pISSN - 0003-3804
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3889(200011)9:11/12<865::aid-andp865>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - phonon , anharmonicity , physics , renormalization , photon , quantum , condensed matter physics , einstein , amplitude , quantum mechanics
After the discovery of the quantum nature of the electromagnetic radiation by Planck in 1900, the concept of photons was introduced by Einstein in 1905. In 1907 Einstein also introduced quantified lattice vibrations (today called phonons) in order to explain the temperature dependence of the specific heat of crystals. In recent years, the availability of isotopically pure elements has facilitated the growth of crystals with variable isotopic concentration. With these crystals, several quantum effects concerning the ero‐point vibrational amplitudes of phonons have been investigated. Among them we discuss here the anharmonic renormalization of phonon lineshapes.