lattice waves

Lattice waves are vibrations that travel through a regular, repeating arrangement of atoms or molecules in a solid material, called a lattice. Imagine a grid where each point is an atom connected to its neighbors. When one atom moves, it causes adjacent atoms to move as well, creating a wave that propagates through the lattice. These waves carry energy and are responsible for phenomena like sound transmission through solids and heat conduction. Essentially, lattice waves are the way energy moves through the tiny, ordered world of atoms in a crystalline structure.