Is it possible to use spectroscopy to see vibrations in a material?

[JoAuSc]

As I was walking to work yesterday, I thought about how each step I took on the concrete sidewalk spread phonons out in all directions. (Let me know if I'm misusing the term phonons.) Which brought me to the question in the title.

 

[Dr Transport]

Neutrons are used to investigate phonon spectra in materials.

 

[ZapperZ]

Raman, FTIR, and several other optical conductivity experiments all measure the phonon spectroscopy of materials.

Zz.

 

[Dr Transport]

Raman, FTIR, and several other optical conductivity experiments all measure the phonon spectroscopy of materials.

Zz.

Absolutely, FTIR will show the optical absorption edge in many semiconductors, Raman will help to measure the vibrational frequencies of bonds in materials.