Photo-plasmonic effect as the hot electron generation mechanism

Area of Science:

• Quantum mechanics
• Condensed matter physics
• Plasmonics

Background:

• The Schrödinger-Poisson model describes electron behavior in quantum systems.
• Understanding electron gas interactions at metal-vacuum interfaces is crucial for advanced electronics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel physical mechanism for resonant hot-electron generation.
• To explore the potential of this mechanism in plasmonic solar cells and spasers.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the effective Schrödinger-Poisson model for analysis.
• Investigating the energy dispersion of undamped and damped plasmons.
• Modeling collective electron tunneling into vacuum.

Main Results:

• An exceptional point was identified in the plasmon energy dispersion, analogous to Landau damping.
• A resonant energy orbital was found in the damped collective excitation band gap.
• The photo-plasmonic effect, a collective analog of the photoelectric effect, was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The proposed mechanism offers a pathway to significantly higher plasmonic solar cell efficiency.
• The unique plasmonic exceptional point structure can be leveraged for designing more efficient spasers.
• This work provides insights into quantum electron tunneling and electron spill-out at metallic surfaces.