Role of elastic scattering in electron dynamics at ordered alkali overlayers on Cu(111)

Phys Rev Lett. 2005 Oct 21;95(17):176802. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.176802. Epub 2005 Oct 19.

Abstract

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of p(2 x 2) Cs and Na ordered overlayers on Cu(111) reveals similar line widths of quasi-two-dimensional quantum well states despite largely different binding energies. Detailed calculations show that 50% of the line widths are due to electron-phonon scattering while inelastic electron-electron scattering is negligible. The mechanism of enhanced elastic scattering due to Brillouin zone backfolding contributes the remaining width.