The Einstein solid is a model of a solid based on two assumptions:
- Each atom in the lattice is an independent 3D quantum harmonic oscillator
- All atoms oscillate with the same frequency (contrast with the Debye model)
While the assumption that a solid has independent oscillations is very accurate, these oscillations are sound waves or phonons, collective modes involving many atoms. In the Einstein model, each atom oscillates independently. Einstein was aware that getting the frequency of the actual oscillations would be different, but he nevertheless proposed this theory because it was a particularly clear demonstration that quantum mechanics could solve the specific heat problem in classical mechanics.
Read more about Einstein Solid: Historical Impact, Heat Capacity (microcanonical Ensemble), Heat Capacity (canonical Ensemble)
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“God is subtle, but he is not malicious.
[Raffiniert ist der Herr Gott, aber boshaft ist er nicht.]”
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955)
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—Leontine Young (20th century)