Related papers: Free Electron Theory for Thin Metal Films
We develop a quantum theory of electron confinement in metal nanofilms. The theory is used to compute the nonlinear response of the film to a static or low-frequency external electric field and to investigate the role of boundary conditions…
A simple bulk model of electron-phonon coupling in metals has been surprisingly successful in explaining experiments on metal films that actually involve surface- or other low-dimensional phonons. However, by an exact application of this…
The electronic behavior of various solid metals (Al, Ni, Cu, Au, Ti, and W) under ultrashort laser irradiation is investigated by means of density functional theory. Successive stages of extreme nonequilibrium on picosecond time scale…
The electrical resistivity of a pure sample of a thin metallic film is found to depend on the boundary conditions. This conclusion is supported by a free-electron model calculation and confirmed by an ab initio relativistic…
Although free electron models have been established in order to capture the essential physics of interfacial and bulk properties in metals, some issues still remain regarding the application of free electron models to thin metal films. One…
Within the framework of the phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau theory influence of metallic electrodes on the properties of thin ferroelectric films is considered. The contribution of the metallic electrodes with different screening length of…
We present a theoretical study of electron-phonon scattering effects in thin films made of a strong topological insulator. Phonons are modelled by isotropic elastic continuum theory with stress-free boundary conditions, and the interaction…
Determining the electronic properties of nanoscopic, low-dimensional materials free of external influences is key to discovery and understanding of new physical phenomena. An example is the suspension of graphene, which has allowed access…
The miniaturization of electronic devices has led to the prominence, in technological applications, of ultra-thin films with a thickness ranging from a few tens of nanometers to just about 1-2 nanometers. While these materials are still…
In order to achieve quantum interference of free electrons inside a solid, we have modified the geometry of the solid so that de Broglie waves interfere destructively inside the solid. Quantum interference of de Broglie waves leads to a…
Free electron radiation such as Cerenkov, Smith--Purcell, and transition radiation can be greatly affected by structured optical environments, as has been demonstrated in a variety of polaritonic, photonic-crystal, and metamaterial systems.…
Free-electron radiation results from the interaction between swift electrons and the local electromagnetic environment. Recent advances in material technologies provide powerful tools to control light emission from free electrons and may…
It is shown that for thin metal films, thickness of which does not exceed a thickness of a skin-layer, the problem allows analytical solution for any boundary conditions. The analysis of transmission, reflection and absorption of an…
Changes in the metal properties, caused by periodic indents in the metal surface, have been studied within the limit of quantum theory of free electrons. It was shown that due to destructive interference of de Broglie waves, some quantum…
Recent advances in ultrafast electron emission, microscopy, and diffraction have demonstrated a remarkable ability to manipulate free electrons with quantum coherence using light beams. Here, we present a framework for exploring free…
We study strongly confined plasmons in ultrathin gold and silver films by simulating electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). Plasmon dispersion relations are directly retrieved from the energy- and momentum-resolved loss probability under…
The Casimir free energy and pressure of thin metal films deposited on metallic plates are considered using the Lifshitz theory and the Drude and plasma model approaches to the role of conduction electrons. The bound electrons are taken into…
Wigner crystallization of free electrons at room temperature is explored for a new class of metallic ultrathin (transdimensional) materials whose properties can be controlled by their thickness. Our calculations of the critical electron…
We propose a model for predicting the fluctuations of electron states in thin films as function of film thickness. The model was derived based on the assumption of the existence of potential barrier fluctuations on the film surface. Since…
Both classical and quantum waves can form vortices: with helical phase fronts and azimuthal current densities. These features determine the intrinsic orbital angular momentum carried by localized vortex states. In the past 25 years, optical…