Quantum microphone and phonons

[Solomei]

TL;DR

Physicists count sound particles with quantum microphone

https://phys.org/news/2019-07-physicists-particles-quantum-microphone.html
Are phonons fundamental for advanced levitation technology?

 

[PeterDonis]

advanced levitation technology

What "advanced levitation technology" are you referring to?

 

[Solomei]

What "advanced levitation technology" are you referring to?

https://www.nature.com/news/sound-waves-levitate-and-move-objects-1.13384
If we figure out more about phonons we might scale up the levitation abilities(?)

 

[PeterDonis]

If we figure out more about phonons we might scale up the levitation abilities(?)

I couldn't say for sure, but the levitation itself doesn't seem to depend on any particularly quantum effects; it's just using sound to exert force on objects to counteract gravity. The quantum aspects of the sound don't seem to be important.

 

[vanhees71]

Summary: Physicists count sound particles with quantum microphone

https://phys.org/news/2019-07-physicists-particles-quantum-microphone.html
Are phonons fundamental for advanced levitation technology?

Levitation technology? I've no clue how you come to that idea.

Phonons are quasiparticles, i.e., quantum descriptions of vibrations of solids.

 

[atyy]

Summary: Physicists count sound particles with quantum microphone

Interesting.

Are phonons fundamental for advanced levitation technology?

Not the levitation effect you were thinking about in post #3, but there is the Meissner effect which is some sort of magnetic levitation in the presence of a superconductor, and phonons are essential there for the superconductivity - look up the BCS theory.