Strong and complex electron-lattice correlation in optimally doped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta}$

TL;DR

This paper investigates the electron-lattice interactions in optimally doped Bi2212, revealing strong, complex, and intermediate-strength coupling that challenges traditional models and suggests a nuanced understanding of the ARPES kink phenomenon.

Contribution

It provides evidence for intermediate-strength, complex electron-lattice coupling in Bi2212, emphasizing the limitations of the Migdal-Eliashberg framework and proposing a charge density fluctuation mechanism.

Findings

Large isotope effects in ARPES linewidth and dispersion

Electron-lattice interaction is intermediate, stronger than Migdal-Eliashberg but weaker than small polaron regimes

Complex momentum-dependent isotope effects with differing signs

Abstract

We discuss the nature of electron-lattice interaction in optimally doped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta}$ samples, using isotope effect (IE) in angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) data. The IE in the ARPES line width and the IE in the ARPES dispersion are both quite large, implying a strong electron-lattice correlation. The strength of the electron-lattice interaction is ``intermediate,'' i.e. stronger than the Migdal-Eliashberg regime but weaker than the small polaron regime, requiring a more general picture of the ARPES ``kink'' than the commonly used Migdal-Eliashberg picture. The two IEs also imply a complex interaction, due to their strong momentum dependence and their differing sign behaviors. In sum, we propose an intermediate-strength coupling of electrons to localized lattice vibrations via charge density fluctuations.