4 research outputs found
The role of occupied d states in the relaxation of hot electrons in Au
We present first-principles calculations of electron-electron scattering
rates of low-energy electrons in Au. Our full band-structure calculations
indicate that a major contribution from occupied d states participating in the
screening of electron-electron interactions yields lifetimes of electrons in Au
with energies of above the Fermi level that are larger than
those of electrons in a free-electron gas by a factor of . This
prediction is in agreement with a recent experimental study of ultrafast
electron dynamics in Au(111) films (J. Cao {\it et al}, Phys. Rev. B {\bf 58},
10948 (1998)), where electron transport has been shown to play a minor role in
the measured lifetimes of hot electrons in this material.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Hole dynamics in noble metals
We present a detailed analysis of hole dynamics in noble metals (Cu and Au),
by means of first-principles many-body calculations. While holes in a
free-electron gas are known to live shorter than electrons with the same
excitation energy, our results indicate that d-holes in noble metals exhibit
longer inelastic lifetimes than excited sp-electrons, in agreement with
experiment. The density of states available for d-hole decay is larger than
that for the decay of excited electrons; however, the small overlap between d-
and sp-states below the Fermi level increases the d-hole lifetime. The impact
of d-hole dynamics on electron-hole correlation effects, which are of relevance
in the analysis of time-resolved two-photon photoemission experiments, is also
addressed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Theory of inelastic lifetimes of low-energy electrons in metals
Electron dynamics in the bulk and at the surface of solid materials are well
known to play a key role in a variety of physical and chemical phenomena. In
this article we describe the main aspects of the interaction of low-energy
electrons with solids, and report extensive calculations of inelastic lifetimes
of both low-energy electrons in bulk materials and image-potential states at
metal surfaces. New calculations of inelastic lifetimes in a homogeneous
electron gas are presented, by using various well-known representations of the
electronic response of the medium. Band-structure calculations, which have been
recently carried out by the authors and collaborators, are reviewed, and future
work is addressed.Comment: 28 pages, 18 figures, to appear in Chem. Phy