An analytic method for quadratic polarons in non-parabolic bands

Abstract

Including the effect of lattice anharmonicity on electron-phonon interactions has recently garnered attention due to its role as a necessary and significant component in explaining various phenomena, including superconductivity, optical response, and the temperature dependence of mobility. This study focuses on analytically treating the effects of anharmonic electron-phonon coupling on the polaron self-energy, combined with numerical Diagrammatic Monte Carlo data. Specifically, we incorporate a quadratic interaction into the method of squeezed phonon states, which has proven effective for analytically calculating the polaron parameters. Additionally, we extend this method to non-parabolic finite-width conduction bands while maintaining the periodic translation symmetry of the system. Our results are compared with those obtained from Diagrammatic Monte Carlo, partially reported in a recent study [Phys. Rev. B 107, L121109(2023)], covering a wide range of coupling strengths for the nonlinear interaction. Remarkably, our analytic method predicts the same features as the Diagrammatic Monte Carlo simulation.