The anharmonic electron-phonon problem

Abstract

The anharmonic electron-phonon problem is solved in the infinite-dimensional limit using quantum Monte Carlo simulation. Charge-density-wave order is seen to remain at half filling even though the anharmonicity removes the particle-hole symmetry (and hence the nesting instability) of the model. Superconductivity is strongly favored away from half filling (relative to the charge-density-wave order) but the anharmonicity does not enhance transition temperatures over the maximal values found in the harmonic limit.