Generalized continuum theory of phonon angular momentum in crystals

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Matsuo, Mamoru, Nishimura, Naoki, Yamakage, Ai, Kato, Takeo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866911640890376192
author Matsuo, Mamoru
Nishimura, Naoki
Yamakage, Ai
Kato, Takeo
author_facet Matsuo, Mamoru
Nishimura, Naoki
Yamakage, Ai
Kato, Takeo
contents We formulate a generalized continuum theory of phonon angular momentum in crystals by introducing a local SO(3) material frame in addition to the macroscopic displacement field. The local frame represents rotational optical degrees of freedom of the unit cell and brings acoustic displacement modes and optical rotational modes into a common long-wavelength continuum description. In the linearized limit, the co-rotated deformation gradient and the rotational gradient associated with the local material frame recover the Eringen microdeformation and wryness tensors; isotropic micropolar elasticity then appears as a special case. Rotational symmetry and Noether's theorem determine the continuum phonon angular-momentum density, including both the displacement-polarization contribution and the intrinsic microrotation contribution. The theory further identifies the locking limit in which microrotation reduces to lattice vorticity and the improper-symmetry-breaking terms responsible for chiral phonon splitting.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_01678
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Generalized continuum theory of phonon angular momentum in crystals
Matsuo, Mamoru
Nishimura, Naoki
Yamakage, Ai
Kato, Takeo
Materials Science
We formulate a generalized continuum theory of phonon angular momentum in crystals by introducing a local SO(3) material frame in addition to the macroscopic displacement field. The local frame represents rotational optical degrees of freedom of the unit cell and brings acoustic displacement modes and optical rotational modes into a common long-wavelength continuum description. In the linearized limit, the co-rotated deformation gradient and the rotational gradient associated with the local material frame recover the Eringen microdeformation and wryness tensors; isotropic micropolar elasticity then appears as a special case. Rotational symmetry and Noether's theorem determine the continuum phonon angular-momentum density, including both the displacement-polarization contribution and the intrinsic microrotation contribution. The theory further identifies the locking limit in which microrotation reduces to lattice vorticity and the improper-symmetry-breaking terms responsible for chiral phonon splitting.
title Generalized continuum theory of phonon angular momentum in crystals
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.01678