Electron–phonon coupling at surfaces and interfaces

Over the recent years, electronic surface states have been used for a detailed spectroscopic study of the electron–phonon (e–ph) interaction, both experimentally and theoretically. This review discusses the basic physics of e–ph coupling and how information can be obtained from angle-resolved photoemission experiments and first principles calculations. Several recent results for clean and adsorbate-covered surfaces, quantum wells and free-standing monolayers are also discussed.