Work

Femtosecond dynamics of electrons in noble metals: Orientational relaxation in momentum space and the Drude relaxation rate

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We investigate the momentum-resolved dynamics of conduction electrons in noble metals following ultrashort optical excitation with linearly polarized light. Using a momentum-resolved Boltzmann equation approach for electron-phonon interaction, we solve for the combined effects of orientational relaxation, thermalization, and cooling. We introduce momentum orientational relaxation as the initial step in the equilibration of an optically excited nonequilibrium electron gas by highlighting its importance for the optical response of noble metals as the dephasing of the Drude model. The numerical results for gold reveal that orientational relaxation exists already for linear optical excitations and dominates on time scales on the first tens of femtoseconds after excitation. Also incorporating thermalization and cooling on times up to a few picoseconds, our approach provides a simultaneous description of optical and thermal properties of noble metals under optically induced nonequilibrium conditions.

Source: Physical review. B./Physical review. B

DOI: 10.1103/nq66-bzwj

Authors: Jonas Grumm, Andreas Knorr

Institution: Technische Universität Berlin

Language: English

Topic: Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Technische Universität Berlin, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron

Award: G3348283342