Enhancement of electron-phonon coupling in Cs-overlayered intercalated bilayer graphene

J Phys Condens Matter. 2016 May 25;28(20):204001. doi: 10.1088/0953-8984/28/20/204001. Epub 2016 Apr 20.

Abstract

We have performed high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) on cesium (Cs) intercalated bilayer graphene with a Cs overlayer (Cs-C8CsC8). Low-energy electron diffraction shows a (2 × 2) pattern consistent with intercalation of a Cs layer similar to bulk C8Cs, in addition to the signature of a nearly commensurate superstructure created by the Cs overlayer. ARPES results reveal folding of the π bands due to the periodic (2 × 2) potential of the intercalated Cs atoms, together with a free-electron-like state at the [Formula: see text] point. Significant mass renormalization is observed in the band dispersion near the Fermi level, indicative of strong electron-phonon coupling. Based on analysis of the self-energy, we find anisotropic electron-phonon coupling with an estimated strength of [Formula: see text] ± 0.02 in the K-[Formula: see text] direction, and [Formula: see text] in the K-M direction. This coupling is much larger than that of other doped graphenes, and comparable to superconducting bulk GICs. We attribute this large electron-phonon coupling constant to the presence of the Cs overlayer, which highly dopes [Formula: see text] bands, and creates a structure similar to stage-I graphite intercalation compounds.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't