Local measurement of the eliashberg function of Pb islands: Enhancement of electron-phonon coupling by quantum well states

Inelastic tunneling spectroscopy of Pb islands on Cu(111) obtained by scanning tunneling microscopy below 1 K provides a direct access to the local Eliashberg function of the islands with high energy resolution. The Eliashberg function describes the electron-phonon interaction causing conventional superconductivity. The measured Eliashberg function strongly depends on the local thickness of the Pb nanostructures and shows a sharp maximum when quantum well states of the Pb islands come close to the Fermi energy. Ab initio calculations reveal that this is related to enhanced electron-phonon coupling at these thicknesses.