The physics of surface phonons

Abstract

The effect of the surface termination on the phonon dispersion curves is illustrated by comparison with the bulk dispersion curves. After a review of Rayleigh’s theory of surface waves in elastic media the atomistic Born-von Karman theory for bulk phonons is presented. How the surface affects the surface vibrations is illustrated by the Green’s function theory and slab calculations. The chapter closes with some illustrations of surface phonon dispersion curves and their classification.