Field-theoretic approach to the properties of the solid state

Abstract

The techniques of quantum field theory are used to investigate the thermodynamic ion displacement correlation function—or Green's function of the phonon field—in a crystal and especially in a metal. The structure of thermodynamic Green's functions is outlined and the method for solving for them at finite temperature is fully discussed. The analytic structure of the phonon Green's function is then considered. This function is shown to be bounded and invertible everywhere off the real axis; a spectral form is derived for its inverse. The symmetries imposed by the point group of the crystal are then discussed. Assuming small ionic oscillations, we find the inverse of the phonon Green's function as a linear function of the electronic contribution to the dielectric response function of the metal. This dielectric function is shown to be simply related to the longitudinal part of the conductivity tensor that gives the response of the electrons to the effective electric field in the metal. The assumption of translational invariance then leads to an explicit expression for the phonon Green's function in terms of this conductivity. The deformations in the lattice induced by an arbitrarily time varying external force are calculated in terms of the retarded phonon Green's function. In the static long wavelength limit the phonon Green's function yields the macroscopic elastic constants of the crystal. Their relation to the conductivity is exhibited, and several elastic constants are estimated. We also see that the complete phonon spectrum and the lifetimes of the phonon states may be calculated from this Green's function. A relation between the long wavelength acoustic attenuation in metals and the de conductivity is derived, which is in good agreement with recent experiments. Furthermore, the ions in a metal are shown to have a high-frequency oscillation along with the electrons, at essentially the electron plasma frequency.