phonon

[ foh-non ]

noun

, Physics.

1. a quantum of sound or vibratory elastic energy, being the analogue of a photon of electromagnetic energy.

phonon

/ ˈfəʊnɒn /

noun

1. physics a quantum of vibrational energy in the acoustic vibrations of a crystal lattice

phonon

/ fō′nŏn′ /

1. The quantum of acoustic or vibrational energy. Phonons, like all quanta in quantum mechanics, have wavelike and particlelike properties. Phonons propagate through the vibrating material at the speed of sound in that material. Phonons are especially useful in mathematical models for calculating thermal and vibrational properties of solids.

Word History and Origins

Origin of phonon¹

First recorded in 1930–35; phon- + -on ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of phonon¹

C20: from phono- + -on

Example Sentences

"It's impressive how the laser-cut hBN regions launch phonon polaritons even more efficiently than the edge, suggesting an ultra-narrow unzipped hBN region that strongly interacts with infrared light," said Moore.

From Science Daily

By the very nature of the phonon being a quasiparticle in a crystal it can be shown that the same mathematical pattern holds as for their biological counterparts in water.

From Science Daily

Ultimately, the initial phonon number was reduced by 75%, at a temperature of 74 K, -194 Celsius.

From Science Daily

However, from the perspective of quantum mechanics, sound can also be described as a particle: the phonon.

From Science Daily

"We can literally go upstairs and talk to Xianfan Xu, who had one of the first experimental realizations of this effect. Then we can walk over to Flex Lab and ask Xiulin Ruan about his pioneering work in phonon scattering. And we have the facilities here at Birck Nanotechnology Center to build nanoscale experiments, and use one-of-a-kind measurement tools to confirm our findings. It's really a researcher's dream."

From Science Daily