• Accepted Paper

Ultrafast modulation of electron-phonon couplings and phonon-mediated superconductivity

Yang Yang, Da-Qiang Chen, Xuan-De Bu, Chao Lian, and Sheng Meng

Phys. Rev. Lett. - Accepted 9 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/pzpk-81tt

Abstract

Ultrafast modulation of electron-phonon couplings via laser excitation has been experimentally demonstrated, yet a clear microscopic understanding remains elusive. Here we establish the first framework combining time-dependent density functional theory, density functional perturbation theory, and Migdal-Eliashberg theory to track electron-phonon couplings and superconductivity in prototypical phonon-mediated superconductor MgB2 under laser illumination. We find that near-infrared laser pulses induce charge transfer from boron σ to π orbitals, effectively renormalizing the electron-phonon couplings and boosting the superconducting critical temperature to $$52 K. The simulated thermalized superconducting gaps match well with experimental measurements. We propose a generalizable route for ultrafast modulation of superconductivity in materials whose dominant electron-phonon coupling channel can be selectively addressed by light, with photoinduced changes in electronic coupling and screening playing a central role. This work offers fundamental insight into non-equilibrium optical control of electron-phonon interactions and superconductivity, and provides a predictive tool for studying photo-modulated electron-phonon coupling and macroscopically observable superconducting properties.

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation

If the author has provided any supplemental materials with this article they will be available upon publication of the version of record.

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation