Simulation of photoelectron emission from metallic nanoparticles under laser irradiation (original) (raw)

Enhanced cutoff energies for direct and rescattered strong-field photoelectron emission of plasmonic nanoparticles

Nanophotonics

The efficient generation, accurate detection, and detailed physical tracking of energetic electrons are of applied interest for high harmonics generation, electron-impact spectroscopy, and femtosecond time-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy. We here investigate the generation of photoelectrons (PEs) by exposing plasmonic nanostructures to intense laser pulses in the infrared (IR) spectral regime and analyze the sensitivity of PE spectra to competing elementary interactions for direct and rescattered photoemission pathways. Specifically, we measured and numerically simulated emitted PE momentum distributions from prototypical spherical gold nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters between 5 and 70 nm generated by short laser pulses with peak intensities of 8.0 × 1012 and 1.2 × 1013 W/cm2, demonstrating the shaping of PE spectra by the Coulomb repulsion between PEs, accumulating residual charges on the NP, and induced plasmonic electric fields. Compared to well-understood rescattering P...

Photoelectron emission from metal surfaces by ultrashort laser pulses

Electron emission from metal surfaces produced by short laser pulses is studied within the framework of the distorted-wave formulation. The proposed approach, named surface-Volkov ͑SV͒ approximation, makes use of the band-structure based ͑BSB͒ model and the Volkov phase to describe the interaction of the emitted electron with the surface and the external electric field, respectively. The BSB model provides a realistic representation of the surface, based on a model potential that includes the main features of the surface band structure. The SV method is applied to evaluate the photoelectron emission from the valence band of Al͑111͒. Angular and energy distributions are investigated for different parameters of the laser pulse, keeping in all cases the carrier frequency larger than the plasmon one.

Numerical modelling of emission of a two-level atom near a metal nanoparticle with account for tunnelling of an electron from an atom into a particle

Quantum Electronics, 2016

We report the results of numerical modelling of emission of a two-level atom near a metal nanoparticle under resonant interaction of light with plasmon modes of the particle. Calculations have been performed for different polarisations of light by a dipole approximation method and a complex multipole method. Depending on the distance between a particle and an atom, the contribution of the nonradiative process of electron tunnelling from a two-level atom into a particle, which is calculated using the quasi-classical approximation, has been taken into account and assessed. We have studied spherical gold and silver particles of different diameters (10-100 nm). The rates of electron tunnelling and of spontaneous decay of the excited atomic state are found. The results can be used to develop nanoscale plasmonic emitters, lasers and photodetectors.

Luminescent tracks of high-energy photoemitted electrons accelerated by plasmonic fields

Nanophotonics, 2015

The emission of an electron from a metal nanostructure under illumination and its subsequent acceleration in a plasmonic field forms a platform to extend these phenomena to deposited nanoparticles, which can be studied by state-of-the-art confocal microscopy combined with femtosecond optical excitation. The emitted and accelerated electrons leave defect tracks in the immersion oil, which can be revealed by thermoluminescence. These photographic tracks are read out with the confocal microscope and have a maximum length of about 80 μm, which corresponds to a kinetic energy of about 100 keV. This energy is consistent with the energy provided by the intense laser pulse combined with plasmonic local field enhancement. The results are discussed within the context of the rescattering model by which electrons acquire more energy. The visualization of electron tracks originating from plasmonic field enhancement around a gold nanoparticle opens a new way to study with confocal microscopy both...

Simulations of Nanoblade-Enhanced Laser-Induced Cathode Emissions and Analyses of Yield, MTE, and Brightness

2021

Laser-induced field emission of electrons from metallic nanotips has been well studied. Unfortunately, nanotips suffer low damage thresholds with enhanced fields around 10 GV/m. The nanoblade, akin to a nanotip extruded in one lateral dimension, may reach upwards of 40 GV/m due to its robust thermomechanical properties. This increased surface field promises brighter electron emissions. We perform simulations of strong-field emissions from metallic nanoblades via the 1-D time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation with effective Jellium and nonlinear collective image charge potentials, including the strong field gradients induced by the nanostructure. We measure spectra and yields and compare to recent experiments. Potential analytical forms of image potential limited yield for a spectrally rich emission are presented. Calculations of mean transverse energy are provided as well as a prospective method of mitigation with the goal of increasing brightness.

Dependence of the Electron Photoemission from Metallic Nanoparticles on Their Size

Journal of Russian Laser Research, 2014

We study the spectral dependence of the internal quantum efficiency of electron photoemission on the size of spherical metallic nanoparticles embedded in a semiconductor matrix and discuss theoretically the volume mechanism of the photoeffect. We take into account the change in the Schottky-barrier shape with the nanoparticle radii and the doping concentration in the surrounding matrix in calculations of the potential barrier at the boundary between the nanoparticle and the matrix.

Internal photoemission from plasmonic nanoparticles: comparison between surface and volume photoelectric effects

Nanoscale, 2014

We study emission of photoelectrons from plasmonic nanoparticles into surrounding matrix. We consider two mechanisms of the photoelectric effect from nanoparticles -surface and volume ones, and use models of these two effects which allow us to obtain analytical results for the photoelectron emission rates from nanoparticle. Calculations have been done for the step potential at surface of spherical nanoparticle, and the simple model for the hot electron cooling have been used. We highlight the effect of the discontinuity of the dielectric permittivity at the nanoparticle boundary in the surface mechanism, which leads to substantial (by ~5 times) increase of photoelectron emission rate from nanoparticle compared to the case when such discontinuity is absent. For plasmonic nanoparticle, a comparison of two mechanisms of the photoeffect was done for the first time and showed that surface photoeffect, at least, does not concede the volume one, which agrees with results for the flat metal surface first formulated by Tamm and Schubin in their pioneering development of quantummechanical theory of photoeffect in 1931. In accordance with our calculations, this predominance of the surface effect is a result of effective cooling of hot carriers, during their propagation from volume of the nanoparticle to its surface in the scenario of the volume mechanism. Taking into account both mechanisms is essential in development of devices based on the photoelectric effect and in usage of hot electrons from plasmonic nanoantenna.

Bulk photoemission from plasmonic nanoparticles: Physical models and software tools

2017 Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium - Spring (PIERS), 2017

The paper presents our analytical and numerical results of calculations of bulk photoemission from metal nanoparticles of various shapes and sizes, embedded into semiconductor matrix. Software tools for calculation of characteristics of the effect are also developed.

Consistency checks of results from a Monte Carlo code intercomparison for emitted electron spectra and energy deposition around a single gold nanoparticle irradiated by X-rays

Radiation Measurements, 2021

Organized by the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS), a Monte Carlo code intercomparison exercise was conducted where participants simulated the emitted electron spectra and energy deposition around a single gold nanoparticle (GNP) irradiated by X-rays. In the exercise, the participants scored energy imparted in concentric spherical shells around a spherical volume filled with gold or water as well as the spectral distribution of electrons leaving the GNP. Initially, only the ratio of energy deposition with and without GNP was to be reported. During the evaluation of the exercise, however, the data for energy deposition in the presence and absence of the GNP were also requested. A GNP size of 50 nm and 100 nm diameter was considered as well as two different X-ray spectra (50 kVp and 100kVp). This introduced a redundancy that can be used to cross-validate the internal consistency of the simulation results. In this work, evaluation of the reported results is presented in terms of integral quantities that can be benchmarked against values obtained from physical properties of the radiation spectra and materials involved. The impact of different interaction cross-section datasets and their implementation in the different Monte Carlo codes is also discussed.