Phonon Anharmonicities in Graphite and Graphene

Abstract

We determine from first principles the finite-temperature properties-linewidths, line shifts, and lifetimes-of the key vibrational modes that dominate inelastic losses in graphitic materials. In graphite, the phonon linewidth of the Raman-active E(2g) mode is found to decrease with temperature; such anomalous behavior is driven entirely by electron-phonon interactions, and does not appear in the nearly degenerate infrared-active E(1u) mode. In graphene, the phonon anharmonic lifetimes and decay channels of the A(1)' mode at K dominate over E(2g) at Gamma and couple strongly with acoustic phonons, highlighting how ballistic transport in carbon-based interconnects requires careful engineering of phonon decays and thermalization.