Large Electron-Phonon Coupling at an Interface

The strength of electron-phonon coupling in atomically uniform films of Ag on Fe is determined by angle-resolved photoemission from quantum well states in these films over a wide temperature range. As the film thickness is reduced, contributions from the surface and interface should become more important, and, experimentally, a large enhancement with superimposed quantum oscillations is observed. An analysis of the quantum oscillations indicates that this large enhancement is an interface effect.