Anomalous Cherenkov spin-orbit sound

Journal Article · Tue Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.83.081308· OSTI ID:21538129

Smirnov, Sergey ^[1]

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1. Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Universitaet Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg (Germany)

The Cherenkov effect is a well-known phenomenon in the electrodynamics of fast charged particles passing through transparent media. If the particle is faster than the light in a given medium, the medium emits a forward light cone. This beautiful phenomenon has an acoustic counterpart where the role of photons is played by phonons and the role of the speed of light is played by the sound velocity. In this case the medium emits a forward sound cone. Here, we show that in a system with spin-orbit interactions in addition to this normal Cherenkov sound there appears an anomalous Cherenkov sound with forward and backward sound propagation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the transition from the normal to anomalous Cherenkov sound happens in a singular way at the Cherenkov cone angle. The detection of this acoustic singularity therefore represents an alternative experimental tool for the measurement of the spin-orbit coupling strength.

• OSTI ID: 21538129
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 83, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.83.081308; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
CHERENKOV RADIATION
DETECTION
ELECTRODYNAMICS
EMISSION
LIGHT CONE
L-S COUPLING
ORBITS
PHONONS
PHOTONS
SINGULARITY
SOUND WAVES
SPIN
VISIBLE RADIATION
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
BOSONS
COUPLING
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
INTERMEDIATE COUPLING
MASSLESS PARTICLES
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
QUASI PARTICLES
RADIATION TRANSPORT
RADIATIONS
SPACE-TIME