Phonon-mediated decay of metal surface states

Abstract

We present results of a theoretical investigation of the phonon-mediated decay of metal surface states. The calculated energy- and temperature-dependent lifetime broadening of a hole as well as the electron-phonon coupling parameter for the surface-state band on Al(100), Ag(111), Cu(111) and Au(111) are given. A detailed analysis of the Eliashberg spectral function shows that the intraband scattering is of minor importance for these systems. The surface Rayleigh phonon mode is shown to be crucial for the surface-state decay on the noble metal surfaces, in particular for energies close to the Fermi level where the Rayleigh mode is responsible for the major part of the phonon induced lifetime broadening.