Distinguishing Attosecond Electron-Electron Scattering and Screening in Transition Metals

ORAL

Abstract


Electron–electron interactions, occurring on femtosecond to attosecond timescales, can play a dominant role in light-induced processes such as nano-enhanced plasmonics, light harvesting, or phase transitions. However, to date it has not been possible to experimentally distinguish fundamental electron interactions such as scattering and screening. Here, we use sequences of attosecond pulses to directly measure electron– electron interactions in different bands of different materials. We show that the lifetime of photoelectrons from the d band of Cu are longer by ∼100 as compared with those from the same band of Ni. We attribute this to the enhanced electron–electron scattering in the unfilled d band of Ni. Using theoretical modeling, we can extract the contributions of electron–electron scattering and screening in different bands of Ni and Cu. Our results also show that screening influences high-energy photoelectrons (≈20 eV) significantly less than low-energy photoelectrons. As a result, high-energy photoelectrons can serve as a direct probe of spin-dependent electron–electron scattering by neglecting screening. This can be applied to quantifying the contribution of electron interactions and screening to low-energy excitations near the Fermi level.

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Presenters

  • Yingchao Zhang

    JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder and National Institute of Standards and Technology

Authors

  • Yingchao Zhang

    JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder and National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Cong Chen

    JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder and National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Physics and JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, Univ of Colorado-Boulder

  • Zhensheng Tao

    JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder and National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Physics and JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, Univ of Colorado-Boulder

  • Adra Carr

    JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder and National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Piotr Matybaa

    Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison

  • Tibor Szilvásib

    Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison

  • Sebastian Emmerichc

    Department of Physics, University of Kaiserslautern

  • Mark Keller

    National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), NIST, NIST-Boulder

  • Dmitriy Zusin

    University of Colorado Boulder / JILA, JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder and National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Physics and JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, Univ of Colorado-Boulder

  • Steffen Eich

    Department of Physics, University of Kaiserslautern

  • Markus Rollinger

    Department of Physics, University of Kaiserslautern

  • Wenjing You

    JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder and National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Physics and JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, Univ of Colorado-Boulder

  • Stefan Mathias

    Department of Physics, University of Kaiserslautern

  • Uwe Thumm

    Department of Physics, Kansas State University

  • Manos Mavrikakis

    Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison

  • Martin Aeschlimann

    Department of Physics, University of Kaiserslautern

  • Peter Oppeneer

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Uppsala University

  • Henry Kapteyn

    Physics, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Boulder / JILA, JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder and National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Physics and JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, Univ of Colorado-Boulder

  • Margaret Murnane

    Physics, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Boulder / JILA, JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder and National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Physics and JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, Univ of Colorado-Boulder