Divergent phonon angular momentum driven by temperature and strain

Abstract

The phonon angular momentum (PAM) may exhibit exotic temperature dependence as it is sensitive to the phonon lifetime. Constant phonon-lifetime approximation fails to depict such behavior. Here, we study the PAM of AlN, GaN, and graphene-like boron nitride (g-BN) monolayer with full consideration of phonon lifetime using first-principles calculations. We show that wurtzite AlN and GaN acquire divergent PAM at low temperatures from their lowest-lying phonon branches. The g-BN monolayer, on the other hand, does not have finite PAM at equilibrium structure. Rather it shows intriguing strain-dependence in PAM; the compressive strain greater than the critical size generates divergent PAM at low temperatures due to the divergent lifetime of TA phonons. As PAM couples with rotational excitations in solids associated with charge, spin, or electromagnetic fields, our study demonstrates a possibility of mechanical and thermal engineering of such excitations.