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Local measurement of hot-electron phase-coherence at metal surfaces

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Abstract

We use scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy to study the energy dependence of hot-electron scattering processes on metal surfaces via the determination of the energy-dependent phase-coherence length. From this an electron lifetime can be determined, which in the case of electrons in the surface state of Ag(111) and in the case of the n=1 image-potential state on Cu(100) shows good agreement with theoretical modeling and other experimental data. The method is based on the quantitative analysis of electron interference patterns. A theoretical analysis shows that the phase-coherence length can be determined in confining nanostructures of a characteristic length scale smaller than the phase-coherence length.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Heisenbergstr. 1, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany

    M.A. Schneider, P. Wahl, L. Vitali, L. Diekhöner, R. Vogelgesang & K. Kern

  2. Lehrstuhl für Festkörperphysik, Universität Erlangen, Staudtstr. 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany

    M.A. Schneider

  3. Institut for Fysik og Nanoteknologi, Aalborg Universitet, Skjernvej 4A, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark

    L. Diekhöner

  4. Institut de Physique des Nanostructures, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland

    K. Kern

Authors
  1. M.A. Schneider
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  2. P. Wahl
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  3. L. Vitali
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  4. L. Diekhöner
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  5. R. Vogelgesang
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  6. K. Kern
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M.A. Schneider.

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PACS

73.20.At; 73.50.Gr; 72.10.Fk; 68.37.Ef

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Schneider, M., Wahl, P., Vitali, L. et al. Local measurement of hot-electron phase-coherence at metal surfaces. Appl. Phys. A 88, 443–447 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-007-4065-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-007-4065-y

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