We discuss the origin of the difference between the harmonic value of the width of the multiphonon giant resonances and the smaller observed value. Analytical expressions are derived for both the effective width and the average cross-section. The contribution of the Brink-Axel mechanism in resolving the discrepancy is pointed out. . ∗Supported in part by CNPq and FAPESP.

We present an ab initio study of the effect of spin-orbit coupling on the dynamical properties of the Tl(0001) surface as well as on the electron-phonon interaction at the surface. The calculations based on density-functional theory were carried out using a linear response approach and a mixed-basis pseudopotential method. It is shown that the spin-orbit effects on the phonon spectrum and the e...

Based upon Raman spin-lattice interaction, we propose a theoretical model for the phonon Hall effect in paramagnetic dielectrics, which was discovered recently in an experiment [C. Strohm, G. L. J. A. Rikken, and P. Wyder, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 155901 (2005).]. The phonon Hall effect is revealed to be a phonon analogue to the anomalous Hall effect in electron systems. The thermal Hall conductivi...

The electron and phonon temperature distribution function are calculated in semiconductors. We solved the coupled one-dimensional heat-diffussion equations in the linear approximation in which the physical parameters on the sample are independent of the temperature. We also consider the heat flux at the surface of the semiconductor as a boundary condition for each electron and phonon systems in...

Direct phonon excitation in a neutron time-of-flight single-crystal Laue diffraction experiment has been observed in a single crystal of NaCl. At room temperature both phonon emission and excitation leave characteristic features in the diffuse scattering and these are well reproduced using abinitio phonons from density functional theory (DFT). A measurement at 20 K illustrates the effect of the...

This chapter is devoted to the recent theoretical results on the optical quantum control over charges confined in quantum dots under influence of phonons. We show that lattice relaxation processes lead to decoherence of the confined carrier states. The theoretical approach leading to a uniform, compact description of the phonon impact on carrier dynamics, perturbative in phonon couplings but ap...

We have performed molecular dynamics simulations with phonon spectral analysis to predict the mode-wise phonon relaxation times (RT) of suspended and supported graphene at room temperature, and the findings are consistent with recent optical measurements. For acoustic phonons, RTs reduce from up to 50 ps to less than 5 ps when graphene is put on silicon dioxide substrate. Similarly, optical pho...

We present thermal measurements of large-area (over 1000 μm2) monolayer graphene samples at cryogenic temperatures to study the electron-phonon thermal conductivity of graphene. By using two large samples with areas which differ by a factor of 10, we are able to clearly show the area dependence of the electron-phonon cooling. We find that, at temperatures far below the Bloch-Grüneisen temperatu...