Surface polar optical phonon interaction induced many-body effects and hot-electron relaxation in graphene

TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive theoretical analysis of how surface polar optical phonons influence many-body effects and hot-electron relaxation in graphene, considering electron self-energy, spectral functions, and scattering rates.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed many-body perturbative framework to quantify surface phonon effects on electron properties in graphene on polar substrates.

Findings

Surface phonons significantly modify electron self-energy and spectral functions.

Screening effects alter scattering rates and electron-phonon interactions.

Quantitative predictions of hot-electron relaxation dynamics in graphene.

Abstract

We theoretically study various aspects of the electron-surface optical phonon interaction effects in graphene on a substrate made of polar materials. We calculate the electron self-energy in the presence of the surface phonon-mediated electron-electron interaction focusing on how the linear chiral graphene dispersion is renormalized by the surface phonons. The electron self-energy as well as the quasiparticle spectral function in graphene are calculated, taking into account electron-polar optical phonon interaction by using a many body perturbative formalism. The scattering rate of free electrons due to polar interaction with surface optical phonons in a dielectric substrate is calculated as a function of the electron energy, temperatures, and carrier density. Effects of screening on the self-energy and scattering rate are discussed. Our theory provides a comprehensive quantitative (and qualitative) picture for surface phonon interaction induced many-body effects and hot electron relaxation in Dirac materials.