Vibrations of a One-Dimensional Host-Guest System

A simple model shows how it is possible to create a gap in the vibrational spectrum of a one-dimensional lattice. The proposed model is a host-guest chain having, instead of point-like masses connected by spring, massive cages hosting particles inside. We imagine the cage as a rigid box containing a mass linked by a spring to the box inner wall. The presence of guests creates an energy gap in the dispersion of vibrational frequencies. The gap is about the internal resonance of the mass hidden in the cage. The model is proposed to help understanding the macroscopic behaviour of some phononic materials and the properties of materials with microscopic rattling modes.