phononn.
/ˈfəʊnɒn/, U.S. /ˈfoʊˌnɑn/ 1. Physics. A quantum or quasiparticle associated with a compressional or acoustic wave involving vibrations of atoms in a crystal lattice; a quantum of acoustic, thermal, or vibrational energy in a lattice.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > science of sound > [noun] > unit of sound
decibel1928
phon1932
phonon1932
PNdB1959
db.1975
the world > matter > physics > quantum theory > [noun] > quasiparticle > types of > associated with waves
phonon1932
magnon1941
phason1971
1932 J. Frenkel Wave Mech. vi. 267 It is possible to associate the acoustical waves with certain particles which we shall call ‘phonons’, and to replace the study of the heat oscillations forming these waves by the study of the motion of the corresponding ‘phonons’. [Note] It is not in the least intended to convey hereby the impression that such phonons have a real existence.
1953 C. Kittel Introd. Solid State Physics v. 82 If the forces between atoms were purely harmonic, there would be no mechanism for collisions between different phonons, and the mean free path would be limited solely by collisions of a phonon with the crystal boundary, and by lattice imperfections.
1968 C. G. Kuper Introd. Theory Superconductivity i. 2 In field-theoretical language the mechanism responsible for electrical resistance is scattering of electrons, with associated emission or absorption of quanta (‘phonons’) of the acoustic vibration field of the medium.
1974 H. E. Hall Solid State Physics ii. 67 It is often convenient to treat lattice vibrations in an analogous way, and introduce the idea of phonons of energy ħω as quanta of excitation of the lattice. Our normal modes are plane waves extending throughout the crystal lattice, and correspondingly the phonons are not localized particles.
1995 Economist 14 Oct. 148/1 The small, narrow metal beams being developed for nanotechnology will do nicely here, since the average phonon will not have a high enough frequency to cause such fine beams to resonate, and will thus not easily be able to travel along them.
2. Linguistics. In stratificational grammar, Sydney M. Lamb's name for: a phonetic feature which is capable of distinguishing phonemes. Cf. distinctive-feature at distinctive adj. 1b.
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the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > [noun] > phoneme, allophone, etc. > feature distinguishing phonemes
phonon1964
1964 S. M. Lamb in A. Kimball Romney & R. Goodwin D'Andrade Transcultural Stud. in Cognition (Amer. Anthropologist: special publication) 60 The elementary units of which the phoneme, the morpheme, the lexeme, and the sememe are composed may be called the phonon, the morphon, the lexon, and the semon respectively.
1967 C. F. Hockett Lang., Math. & Ling. 83 The pair ‘pit’ and ‘bit’ attests to a minimal difference,..but that difference is between voicelessness and voicing, not between /p/ and /b/. We shall follow Lamb in calling the terms of such minimal differences phonons.
1975 Amer. Speech 1972 47 248 In many, most, or all languages there are recurrent bundles of phonons which it is convenient to represent in a linear rotation by single letters.
Derivatives
phoˈnonic adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > [adjective] > phoneme, allophone, etc. > feature distinguishing phonemes
phononic1958
1958 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 248 530 In this region the conductivity is still predominantly phononic.
1966 S. M. Lamb Outl. Stratificational Gram. ii. 29 The phononic alternation pattern specifies alternations involving phonological components.
2001 Physics News Update (Electronic text) 27 Apr. The trouble is that, as with the optical counterpart, it has been difficult to achieve full exclusion of certain acoustic frequency bands in ‘phononic’ materials.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1932