Chapter 4
Lattice Vibrations
A crystal may be regarded as a set of atoms arranged in a periodic arrangement joined together by massless elastic springs, as shown in Figure 4.1.
Figure 4.1 Model of a crystal in two dimensions
Crystals are three-dimensional (3D) objects, but two-dimensional (2D) and one-dimensional (1D) crystals can also be visualized. In crystals, the atoms execute complex random thermal motion. These motions are motions of individual atoms, independent of the motions of other atoms. They do not persist in the crystal for a long time and are not counted as the vibrations of the crystal lattice. But there are certain motions ...
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