Exact and approximate results for the polaron in one dimension

Abstract

The Fr\"ohlich polaron confined to move in one space dimension and interacting with a three-dimensional lattice is studied. We calculate exact and approximate results for the ground-state energy and the effective mass. The following exact results were obtained. In (a) the weak-coupling limit for the energy E=-\ensuremath{\alpha}'-[(3/2 \ensuremath{\surd}2 )-1]\ensuremath{\alpha}' $^{2}$, the mass ${\mathit{m}}^{\mathrm{*}}$/${\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{b}}$=1/2\ensuremath{\alpha}'+[(5/2 \ensuremath{\surd}2 )-1]/4, and the average number of virtual phonons N=1/2\ensuremath{\alpha}'+[(3/ \ensuremath{\surd}2 )-2]\ensuremath{\alpha}' $^{2}$, and in (b) the strong-coupling limit E=-0.333 088\ensuremath{\alpha}' $^{2}$,${\mathit{m}}^{\mathrm{*}}$/${\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{b}}$=2.1254\ensuremath{\alpha}' $^{4}$, and N=0.666 176\ensuremath{\alpha}' $^{2}$. Here, \ensuremath{\alpha}' is the normalized electron-phonon coupling constant, which was chosen such that E=-\ensuremath{\alpha}' within second-order perturbation theory.