Quantized Dislocations

A dislocation, just like a phonon, is a type of atomic lattice displacement but subject to an extra topological constraint. However, unlike the phonon which has been quantized for decades, the dislocation has long remained classical. In this talk we introduce our recent theoretical effort to quantize a dislocation, the “dislon” theory [1], by emphasizing a few predictions on tailoring electronic and thermal properties in a dislocated crystal, along with some initial agreement with recent simulations and experiments. By establishing a concept that complex defects can naturally be described by a quantum field, quantum many-body theory may be applied to explain complex disordered materials at a new level of clarity.
[1] M. Li, “Quantized Dislocations”, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 31, 083001 (2019).