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arXiv · 1602.08024

The electron-phonon coupling strength at metal surfaces directly determined from the Helium atom scattering Debye-Waller factor

J. R. Manson·G. Benedek·Salvador Miret-Artes
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Abstract

A new quantum-theoretical derivation of the elastic and inelastic scattering probability of He atoms from a metal surface, where the energy and momentum exchange with the phonon gas can only occur through the mediation of the surface free-electron density, shows that the Debye-Waller exponent is directly proportional to the electron-phonon mass coupling constant $\lambda$. The comparison between the values of $\lambda$ extracted from existing data on the Debye-Waller factor for various metal surfaces and the $\lambda$ values known from literature indicates a substantial agreement, which opens the possibility of directly extracting the electron-phonon coupling strength in quasi-2D conducting systems from the temperature or incident energy dependence of the elastic Helium atom scattering intensities.

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J. R. Manson, G. Benedek, Salvador Miret-Artes. 2016-02-25. The electron-phonon coupling strength at metal surfaces directly determined from the Helium atom scattering Debye-Waller factor. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b00139

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