TRES-CHIC-ESt · Time-Resolved Electron Spectroscopy of a Challenging Highly Innovative Collective Excitation Study
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-04-01 → 2023-03-31
- EU contribution
- €174,167
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
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Results in brief
Time-Resolved Electron Spectroscopy of a Challenging Highly Innovative Collective Excitation Study
The work conducted during the action entitled “Time-Resolved Electron Spectroscopy: a Challenging Highly Innovative Collective Excitation Study” (TRES-CHIC-ESt) is devoted to the investigation of a series of open scientific questions concerning the dynamics of a characteristic type of electronic interaction in solid matter exhibiting a “many-body” character; the collective excitation of the solid-state electrons leading to a plasmon resonance. Plasmons represent a many-body response of the electronic subsystem to an external perturbation – e.g. an incident electron, photon (or ion) – inducing the polarisation of its surface or bulk. They are a coherent superposition of a small number of electron-hole pairs oscillating in the valence (conduction) band. Being a multi-electron process, plasmons are intrinsically complicated to describe and, typically they are simplified as “quasi-particles”. Albeit practical, this quasi-particle description no longer holds if the target goes beyond a free-electron gas material and if the experiments are performed on the femtosecond-timescale. Although plasmons are known since the 70’s to play a key role in Secondary Electron Emission (SEE) only in the recent past the correlation between the energy loss process giving rise to the plasmon wake and the concomitant SEE has been disclosed. Open scientific questions concern the excitation, the build-out and the decay of a plasmon as well as the details of the phenomenon of SEE. The combination of plasmon resonances with nanoscale structures has become a promising route in photovoltaics, magneto-plasmonics and sensoring devices. The interaction of surface plasmons with light is controlled by tailoring shape and size of nanostructures. Both plasmon resonances and the concomitant generation and emission SEs are being exploited in a whole manifold of modern technological applications. Therefore, deepening the understanding on these two correlated electronic processes, revealing their temporal evolution, is not only interesting from a fundamental point of view, but it also represents a relevant step necessary to achieve a goal-oriented tailoring of a material for the above-mentioned applications. The overall objective of the action is to observe in real-time the dynamics of these plasmon resonances, to unveil the details of the temporal evolution of these fundamental phenomena of the solid state. The experiments described in the TRES-CHIC-ESt project aim at providing a set of benchmark data that can help to refine and improve the currently available theoretical models, which lack a rigorous treatment of their many-body nature.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Plasmons are collective modes of the solid-state electrons representing a characteristic elementary excitation in solids. In theory plasmons are simplified as quasi particles with a well-defined energy and momentum from the instant of their creation to their decay. The dynamics of plasmons and the concomitant liberation of solid-state electrons is not yet fully understood. It is the aim of the present project to unveil the dynamics of this complex many-body process with unprecedented temporal resolution. The fundamentals of plasmonics are at the core of this project, as well as technologies involving secondary and hot electrons. Albeit challenging, the above scientific vision of the applicant is not only innovative, but it is timely and relevant to various scientific and technological fields ranging from space technology, to photovoltaics and semiconductor industry, as well as life sciences and biology. With the advent of modern time-resolved experiments, the objective of the experienced researcher (ER) outlined above has realistically come within reach. The TRES-CHIC-ESt project will be carried out at a host institution which is a pioneer in the field of attophysics under a supervision offering optimal conditions for young researchers to widen their scientific horizon and to boost their careers, thus offering to the applicant the ideal environment to pursue her innermost desire: to become a world-class successful researcher. In exchange, the solid-state Physics background of the ER will enrich the perspectives of the hosting group, who among others will benefit from her prior experiences and collaborations. During her PhD-studies, as a MSCA ITN fellow, the ER has already studied the causal relationship between plasmons and secondary electrons using spectroscopy with correlated electron pairs. Finally, by following the example of successful female researchers with whom the ER collaborates, she is determined to improve the gender balance in her scientific environment
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN · WienCoordinatorAustria
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union