Chapter 4 : Phonons and

Crystal vibration
•Acoustic and Optic Modes of
phonons
•Quantization and Phonons
• Experimental observation by
inelastic scattering

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 Vibration of Crystals with
monatomic basis
(Transverse)

Vibration of Crystals with

monatomic basis
(Logitudinal)

Traveling wave solution

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V ( x) = kx 2
2
4C ka
F, = kx
ω 2 = 2C / M (1 − cos ka) = sin 2
M 2

4C 1
ω= sin ka
M 2

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 Boundary of First Brillouin Zone

K =±
π dω 2
dk
(
= 2C a
M
)sin ka ka = ±π
a

=0

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 Accoustical & Optical branch
Accoustical branch
All the atoms go in the same direction.
← Compressional wave or sound wave.

Optical branch
Opposite effect on the two atoms (M1,M2)
← Electromagnetic radiation

Optical mode

Accoustical branch

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 Two atoms per primitive
basis

uS-1 vS-1 uS vS uS+1 vS+1

M1 M2

Diatomic Linear lattice

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Diatomic Crystal Structure

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Phonon Dispersion Relations

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 Summary
• Normal modes of harmonic crystal: Independent
oscillators labeled by wavevector k and having
frequency ωk
• The relation wk as a function of k is called a dispersion
curve - 3N curves for N atoms/cell in 3 dimensions
• Quantized energies (n + 1/2) h ωk
• Can be viewed as particles that can be created or
destroyed - each carries energy and “momentum”
• “Momentum” conserved modulo any G vector
• Measured directly by inelastic diffraction - difference in
in and out energies is the quantized phonon energy

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