Momentum-Resolved Signatures of Carrier Screening Effects on Electron-Phonon Coupling in MoS$_2$

Abstract

Electron-phonon coupling is central to many condensed matter phenomena. Harnessing these effects for novel material functionality in materials always involves non-equilibrium electronic states, which in turn alter quasi-free-carrier density and screening. Thus, gaining a fundamental understanding of the interplay of carrier screening and electron-phonon coupling is essential for advancing ultrafast science. Prior works have mainly focused on the impact of carrier screening on electronic structure properties. Here we investigate the non-equilibrium lattice dynamics of MoS2 after a photoinduced Mott transition. The experimental data are closely reproduced by ab-initio ultrafast dynamics simulations. We find that the non-thermal diffuse scattering signals in the vicinity of the Bragg peaks, originating from long-wavelength phonon emission, can only be reproduced upon explicitly accounting for the screening of electron-phonon interaction introduced by the Mott transition. These results indicate the screening influences electron-phonon coupling, leading to a suppression of intravalley phonon-assisted carrier relaxation. Overall, the combined experimental and computational approach introduced here offers new prospects for exploring the influence of screening of the electron-phonon interactions and relaxation pathways in driven solids.