Geometric Theory of Lattice Vibrations and Specific Heat

Abstract

We discuss, from a geometric standpoint, the specific heat of a solid. This is a classical subject in solid state physics which dates back to a pioneering work by Einstein (1907) and its refinement by Debye (1912). Using a special quantization of crystal lattices and calculating the asymptotic of the integrated density of states at the bottom of the spectrum, we obtain a rigorous derivation of the classical Debye $T^3$ law on the specific heat at low temperatures. The idea and method are taken from discrete geometric analysis which has been recently developed for the spectral geometry of crystal lattices.