Electron inelastic mean free path at energies below 100 eV

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Surface Science

Background:

• Accurate knowledge of electron inelastic mean free paths (IMFPs) is crucial for interpreting data from electron spectroscopy and microscopy.
• Existing methods for calculating IMFPs can be computationally intensive or limited in applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the IMFPs for 10 elemental solids at low electron energies (< 100 eV).
• To provide an alternative computational approach for evaluating hot-electron inelastic lifetimes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the dielectric formalism to calculate energy-loss functions.
• Employed the adiabatic local-density approximation within time-dependent density-functional theory.
• Calculated IMFPs for V, Fe, Ni, Mo, Pd, Ag, Ta, W, Pt, and Au.

Main Results:

• Determined IMFPs for 10 elemental solids below 100 eV.
• IMFPs calculated a few eV above the Fermi energy show good agreement with ab initio GW approximation results.
• The dielectric formalism approach provides reliable IMFP values.

Conclusions:

• The dielectric formalism, using TDDFT, offers a viable method for calculating low-energy IMFPs.
• This approach provides a valuable alternative for assessing hot-electron inelastic lifetimes in materials.
• The findings support the application of these calculations in electron spectroscopy and microscopy.