Nonequilibrium electron dynamics in noble metals
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abstract
Electron-electron and electron-lattice interactions in noble metals are discussed in the light of two-color femtosecond pump-probe measurements in silver films. The internal thermalization of a nonequilibrium electron distribution created by intraband absorption of a pump pulse is followed by probing the induced optical property changes in the vicinity of the frequency threshold for the d band to Fermi surface transitions. This is shown to take place with a characteristic time constant of 350 fs, significantly shorter than previously reported in gold. This difference is ascribed to a weaker screening of the electron-electron interaction by the d-band electrons in silver than in gold. These results are in quantitative agreement with numerical simulations of the electron relaxation dynamics using a reduced static screening of the electron-electron Coulomb interaction, and including bound electron screening. Electron-lattice thermalization has been studied using a probe frequency out of resonance with the interband transitions. In both materials, the transient nonthermal nature of the electron distribution leads to the observation of a short-time delay reduction of the energy-loss rate of the electron gas to the lattice, in very good agreement with our theoretical model. 2000 The American Physical Society.
published proceedings
PHYSICAL REVIEW B
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3
author list (cited authors)
Del Fatti, N., Voisin, C., Achermann, M., Tzortzakis, S., Christofilos, D., & Vallee, F.
citation count
382
complete list of authors
Del Fatti, N||Voisin, C||Achermann, M||Tzortzakis, S||Christofilos, D||Vallee, F