Laser-stimulated photodetachment of electrons from metal nanoparticles in plasma

We study the laser-stimulated photodetachment of electrons (LSPD) [1,2] from dust particles in plasma. Specifically, we developed a theory of the LSPD with applications to spherical metal nanoparticles immersed in the plasma. The charging of nanoparticles in plasma leads to the appearance of an additional electric field, leading to a change in the potential barrier at the particle boundary and, consequently, a change in the effective work function, due to the Schottky effect. In this case, the critical wavelength of the laser (the red border of the photoelectric effect) depends not only on the work function and size but also on the charge of the nanoparticles. Our theory predicts that the smaller the size of the nanoparticles, the stronger the shift of the red boundary of the photoelectric effect. Considered effects are important for selecting the LSPD laser wavelength and analysis of measured results.

[1] E. Stoffels, W. W. Stoffels, G. M. W. Kroesen, and F. J. de Hoog, J. Vacuum Sci. Technol. A 14, 556 (1996)

[2] T. Jacobus, A. Staps et al., J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 55 08LT01 (2022)