Unveiling electron‐phonon and electron‐magnon interactions in the weak itinerant ferromagnet LaCo2P2

Abstract

Studying and understanding many-body interactions, particularly electron-boson interactions, is essential for a deeper elucidation of fundamental physical phenomena and the development of novel material functionalities. Here, this aspect is explored in the weak itinerant ferromagnet LaCo2P2 by means of momentum-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) and first-principles calculations. The detailed ARPES patterns enable to unveil bulk and surface bands, spin splittings due to Rashba and exchange interactions, as well as the evolution of bands with temperature, which altogether creates a solid foundation for theoretical studies. The latter has allowed to establish the impact of electron-boson interactions on the electronic structure, that are reflected in its strong renormalization driven by electron-magnon interaction and the emergence of distinctive kinks of surface and bulk electron bands due to significant electron-phonon coupling. Our results highlight the distinct impact of electron-boson interactions on the electronic structure, particularly on the itinerant d states. Similar electronic states are observed in the isostructural iron pnictides, where electron-boson interactions play a crucial role in the emergence of superconductivity. It is believed that further studies of material systems involving both magnetically active d- and f-sublattices will reveal more advanced phenomena in the bulk and at distinct surfaces, driven by a combination of factors including Rashba and Kondo effects, exchange magnetism, and electron-boson interactions.