Electron-phonon interactions in correlated systems: Adiabatic expansion of the dynamical mean-field theory

We use the dynamical mean-field theory to develop a systematic and computationally tractable method for studying electron-phonon interactions in systems with arbitrary electronic correlations. The method is formulated as an adiabatic expansion around the limit of static phonons. No specific electronic ground state is assumed. We derive an effective low-frequency phonon action whose coefficients are static local correlation functions of the underlying electron system. We identify the correct expansion parameters. At a critical electron-phonon interaction strength the system undergoes a transition to a polaronic state. We determine the location of this polaronic instability in the presence of electron-electron interactions, doping, and quantum lattice fluctuations and present the formalism needed for study of the electron self-energy and effective mass.