Strong and complex electron-lattice correlation in optimally doped Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_(8+δ)

We discuss the nature of electron-lattice interaction in optimally doped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta}$ samples, using isotope effect (IE) in angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) data. The IE in the ARPES line width and the IE in the ARPES dispersion are both quite large, implying a strong electron-lattice correlation. The strength of the electron-lattice interaction is ``intermediate,'' i.e. stronger than the Migdal-Eliashberg regime but weaker than the small polaron regime, requiring a more general picture of the ARPES ``kink'' than the commonly used Migdal-Eliashberg picture. The two IEs also imply a complex interaction, due to their strong momentum dependence and their differing sign behaviors. In sum, we propose an intermediate-strength coupling of electrons to localized lattice vibrations via charge density fluctuations.