We present an ab initio study of the electron-phonon interaction in surface electronic states on Be(101̅ 0). The calculations based on density-functional theory were carried out using a linear-response approach and a mixed-basis pseudopotential method. It is shown that the strength of the electron-phonon coupling is sensitive to the energy and momentum position of an electronic state and varies from 0.16 to 0.54. The difference in the electron-phonon interaction of two Shockley-type surface states at Ā can be understood on the basis of their different energy positions in the projected band gap. Previous experiments addressing the electron-phonon coupling strength of these two surface states are discussed in light of our theoretical findings.

We acknowledge financial support of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (Grant No. GIC071T36607), the Departamento de Educación del Gobierno Vasco, and the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (MCyT) (Grant No. FIS 2007-66711-C01-01).

8 páginas, 6 figuras, 3 tablas.-- PACS number(s): 63.20.kd, 68.47.De, 73.20.−r.-- et al.

Peer reviewed