phonons

Stanford physicists observe quantum jump in sound for first time

A team of Stanford physicists has documented the first direct observation of a quantum jump in sound, capturing the instant a single unit of vibration — known as a phonon — dropped from one energy level to another inside a…

UCLA engineers observe quantum heat waves at room temperature

Researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering have demonstrated for the first time that phonons — atomic vibrations that carry heat — can travel in focused, ray-like paths at room temperature, a phenomenon previously observed only near absolute zero.…