Publications in Scientific Journals:
W.S.M. Werner, A. Ruocco, F. Offi, S. Iacobucci, W. Smekal, Hp. Winter, G. Stefani:
"Role of surface and bulk plasmon decay in secondary electron emission";
Physical Review B,
78
(2008),
2334031
- 2334034.
English abstract:
The mechanism of secondary electron emission by impact of 100-eV electrons on an Al surface has
been investigated by measuring the secondary electron spectrum in coincidence with loss features in the
spectrum of reflected electrons. Distinct peaks are observed at energies corresponding accurately to the surface
and bulk plasmon energies minus the work function of the analyzer, demonstrating that plasmons excited by
electron energy losses predominantly decay via creation of single-electron-hole pairs that act as a source for the
secondary electron spectrum. These findings suggest a mechanism for emission of secondary electrons very
similar to photoelectron emission, the difference being the step leading to electron liberation, i.e., plasmon
decay in the present case versus photoionization in the case of PE.
"Official" electronic version of the publication (accessed through its Digital Object Identifier - DOI)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.78.233403
Created from the Publication Database of the Vienna University of Technology.