ELECTRON-PHONON INTERACTIONS IN TRANSITION-METALS

The problem of the electron-phonon interaction in transition metals is approached from the point of view that nonorthogonal tight-binding representations of the d-band electronic structure are very appropriate in such materials. Expressions for the electron-phonon matrix elements using this representation are derived. The quantitative validity of the method is demonstrated by calculating I2, the Fermi-surface average of the electron-phonon coupling constant for 4d bcc transition metals and alloys. The variation of I2 in these materials is understood physically as arising from the variation of the average Fermi velocity and of the bond order. © 1979 The American Physical Society.