Polaron-induced phonon localization and stiffening in rutile TiO${}_2$

Abstract

Small polaron formation in transition metal oxides, like the prototypical material rutile TiO${}_2$, remains a puzzle and a challenge to simple theoretical treatment. In our combined experimental and theoretical study, we examine this problem using Raman spectroscopy of photo-excited samples and real-time time-dependent density functional theory (RT-TDDFT), which employs Ehrenfest dynamics to couple the electronic and ionic subsystems. We observe experimentally the unexpected stiffening of the $A_{1g}$ phonon mode under UV illumination and provide a theoretical explanation for this effect. Our analysis also reveals a possible reason for the observed anomalous temperature-dependence of the Hall mobility. Small polaron formation in rutile TiO${}_2$ is a strongly non-adiabatic process and is adequately described by Ehrenfest dynamics at time scales of polaron formation.

References in corpus (2)

• A direct view at excess electrons in TiO${}_2$ rutile and anatase
• Quasiparticle and Optical Properties of Rutile and Anatase TiO${}_2$