Dynamic structure factor

In condensed matter physics, the dynamic structure factor is mathematical function that contains rich information about inter-particle correlations and their time evolution. Experimentally, it can be accessed most directly by inelastic neutron scattering.

The dynamic structure factor is most often denoted S(q,ω) where q (also k) is a wave vector (a wave number for isotropic materials), and ω a frequency (sometimes stated as energy, $\hbar \omega$). It is the spatial and temporal Fourier transform of van Hove's time-dependent pair correlation function G(r,t).

Further Reading

• van Hove, L. (1954). "Correlations in Space and Time and Born Approximation Scattering in Systems of Interacting Particles". Physical Review. 95 (1).