Observation of Phonon Angular Momentum

TL;DR

This study experimentally demonstrates that phonons in chiral Tellurium carry angular momentum, leading to observable macroscopic mechanical torques, which opens new avenues for phonon-based quantum states and microelectronic applications.

Contribution

The paper provides the first direct experimental observation of phonon angular momentum in a chiral crystal, confirming theoretical predictions and demonstrating macroscopic effects.

Findings

Phonon angular momentum observed in Tellurium

Thermal gradient induces measurable mechanical torque

Torque sign depends on chirality and thermal gradient direction

Abstract

Angular momentum (AM), a fundamental concept describing the rotation of an object about an axis, profoundly influences all branches of physics. In condensed matter, AM is intimately related to the emergence of topological quantum states, including chiral superconductivity and quantum spin liquids, and various chiral quasiparticles. Recently, it has been predicted that microscopic lattice excitations, known as phonons, can carry finite AM with remarkable macroscopic physical consequences. However, the direct observation of phonon-AM has not been achieved. In this letter, we report the experimental discovery of phonon-AM in the chiral crystal Tellurium. We show that due to AM conservation, applying a time-reversal symmetry breaking thermal gradient along the chiral axis of single crystal Te results in a macroscopic mechanical torque, $\tau$, that can be observed using a cantilever-based device. We establish that the mechanical torques change sign by flipping the thermal gradient and disappear in polycrystalline samples that lack a preferred chirality. Based on our experimental settings, we estimate $\tau\sim10^{-11}$N$\cdot$m, in agreement with theoretical calculations. Our results uncover phonon-AM and pave the way for phonon-AM enabled quantum states for microelectronic applications.