Advanced Materials

Haziq Aiman 200984

Assignment 5a

Question: Photonics is an area of study that involves the use of radiant energy (such as light),
whose fundamental element is the photon. By using your own words, describe a photon.

Answer:
In condensed-matter physics, a phonon is a unit of vibrational energy generated by oscillating atoms
within a crystal. Any solid crystal, such as common table salt (sodium chloride), is made up of atoms
bonded together in a precise three-dimensional spatial structure known as a lattice. Because the
atoms behave as if they are connected by tiny springs, the lattice vibrates due to thermal energy or
external forces. This causes mechanical waves to be generated, which transfer heat and sound
through the material. Because a packet of these waves may flow through the crystal with defined
energy and momentum, the waves can be considered as a particle, known as a phonon, in quantum
mechanical terms. A phonon, like a photon, is a defined discrete unit or quantum of vibrational
mechanical energy.

The two basic forms of elementary particles or excitations in solids are phonons and electrons.
Whereas electrons govern the electrical properties of materials, phonons govern the speed of sound
within a material and the amount of heat required to change its temperature.