Phonons are energy particles found in vibrating objects, such as quartz crystals, and are a part of quantum mechanics. They interact with other phonons, forming chains or lattice structures, and can transfer energy in the form of electricity or heat. Manipulating phonons could lead to breakthroughs in creating efficient conducting or insulating materials, and practical inventions such as heat shields and energy collectors. MIT researchers successfully reflected phonons in a crystalline material in 2010.
A phonon is an amount of energy found within a vibration. These are present in all actively vibrating objects, such as quartz crystals. One way to think of a phonon is as a resonant particle within a wave. Just as a “photon” is a quantum particle within a light wave, a phonon is a particle within a sound wave. The term “phonon” comes from the Greek word “telephone”, which means “sound or voice”.
Russian physicist Igor Tamm is credited with first theorizing the concept of phonons. Since this concept was introduced in 1932, these quantities have been integrated into the branch of physics known as quantum mechanics. They are part of the emerging and continuing research in physics. A phonon is often classified as a “quasiparticle” or “collective excitation”, which generally means that it can be observed as a phenomenon but not specifically extracted as an individual physical object.
Phonons do not behave like independent particles, but instead interact with other phonons within an object. This interaction causes groups of phonons to form chains or lattice structures. A phonon is capable of transferring its energy to the next one in the chain. A long lattice or group of these is capable of transferring continuous energy in the form of electricity or heat.
Understanding the behavior of phonons is seen by many thermodynamicists as the key to creating highly efficient conducting or insulating materials. The high conductivity is important in the fields of computing and energy storage, while the extreme insulation is useful for protective materials. Research continues, as some scientists believe that useful materials could be constructed as a result of studying how phonons operate and interact.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) created one such material in 2010. MIT experts combined several layers of different crystalline material into a pattern designed to reflect phonons. During the experiment, the crystalline material successfully stopped the movement of the phonons and caused them to reflect or “bounce” in the opposite direction.
Phonon research may lead to the development of practical developments in the future. Some examples of inventions that are possible by manipulating phonons include protective heat shields for spaceships, superior insulation for freezing environments, and energy collectors for portable devices. Successful manipulation can lead to scientific breakthroughs similar to the rapid growth of solid-state electronics such as transistors during the second half of the 20th century.
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