Abstract
We compare the atomic dynamics of the glass to that of the relevant crystal. In the spectra of inelastic scattering, the boson peak of the glass appears higher than the transverse acoustic (TA) singularity of the crystal. However, the density of states shows that they have the same number of states. Increasing pressure causes the transformation of the boson peak of the glass towards the TA singularity of the crystal. Once corrected for the difference in the elastic medium, the boson peak matches the TA singularity in energy and height. This suggests the identical nature of the two features.
- Received 16 February 2011
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.225501
© 2011 American Physical Society
Viewpoint
The boson peak demystified?
Published 31 May 2011
Experiments suggest that the celebrated “boson peak”—a low-frequency vibrational feature characteristic of amorphous materials—may be related to a well-known phonon singularity in ordered crystalline materials.
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