We present a theoretical study of electron-phonon scattering effects in thin films made of a strong topological insulator. Phonons are modelled by isotropic elastic continuum theory with stress-free boundary conditions, and the interaction with the helical surface Dirac fermions is mediated by the deformation potential. We determine the temperature-dependent electrical resistivity ρ(T) and the quasiparticle decay rate Γ(T) observable in photoemission. The low- and high-temperature power laws for both quantities are obtained analytically. Detailed estimates covering the full temperature range are provided for Bi2Se3.
@article{arxiv.1111.4063,
title = {Electron-phonon scattering in topological insulator thin films},
author = {Sébastien Giraud and Arijit Kundu and Reinhold Egger},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1111.4063},
year = {2012}
}