Theory of electron-phonon dynamics in insulating nanoparticles

The rich vibrational dynamics of nanometer-scale semiconducting and insulating crystals as probed by localized electronic impurity states was discussed with emphasis on nanoparticles weakly coupled to their environment. The phonon density of states (DOS) was obtained using the quasiparticle-pole approximation and calculating the nanoparticle phonon propogator to leading order in K, the spring constant. The difference between two principal regimes of electron-phonon dynamics and a survey of vibrational mode broadening mechanisms was reported.