The pressure dependence of electron-phonon coupling in the organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu(SCN)₂: A comparison of high pressure infrared reflectivity and Raman scattering experiments

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We determine the pressure dependence of the electron-phonon coupling constant in κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu(SCN)₂ by comparison of high pressure Raman scattering and high pressure infrared reflectivity (IR) measurements. We use comparison of the IR reflection spectrum from deuterated and protonated samples to aid the deconvolution of several overlapping phonon modes. These coupled modes are modelled with a Green's function to extract the linear pressure dependence of the individual modes. The Raman active molecular vibrations of the BEDT-TTF dimers stiffen by 0.1-1 %GPa⁻¹. In contrast, the corresponding modes in the IR spectrum are observed at lower frequency, with a pressure dependence of 0.5-5.5 %GPa⁻¹, due to the influence of the electron-phonon interaction. The stronger pressure dependence of the central C=C mode of the BEDT-TTF molecule in the IR, is discussed. Our analysis suggests that reduction of electron-phonon coupling under pressure does not account for observed suppression of superconductivity under pressure.