Abstract
It has been rigorously proved that nonlinear lattices can support spatially localized and periodic in time vibrational modes called either discrete breathers (DBs) or intrinsic localized modes (ILMs). DB does not radiate its energy because its frequency does not belong to the spectrum of small-amplitude running waves. Discreteness and nonlinearity are often said to be the two major necessary conditions for the existence of DBs. Interatomic interactions are nonlinear and the discovery of DBs in crystals, which are nonlinear lattices at the atomic scale, was just a question of time. The first successful attempt to excite DB in alkali-halide NaI crystal in molecular dynamics simulations dates back to 1997. However, the first report on DBs in pure metals was delayed till 2011. In this review we discuss the reason of this delay, describe the latest results on DBs in pure metals and ordered alloys, and outline the open problems in this area.
