Direct Measurement of Ballistic and Diffusive Electron Transport in Gold

We experimentally show that the ballistic length of hot electrons in laser-heated gold films can exceed ∼150 nm, which is ∼50% greater than the previously reported value of 100 nm inferred from pump–probe experiments. We also find that the mean free path of electrons at the peak temperature following interband excitation can reach upward of ∼45 nm, which is higher than the average value of 30 nm predicted from our parameter-free density functional perturbation theory. Our first-principles calculations of electron–phonon coupling reveal that the increase in the mean free path due to interband excitation is a consequence of drastically reduced electron–phonon coupling from lattice stiffening, thus providing the microscopic understanding of our experimental findings