Inelastic electron scattering from thin metal films

I discuss the role of electron-hole pair excitation in inelastic scattering of slow electrons from thin metals films.     

Inelastic electron scattering from He

The spectra of electrons scattered inelastically from ⁴He have been measured at incident energies from 150 MeV to 400 MeV for scattering angles from 38° to 90°. Through the use of a liquid ⁴He target, a high momentum resolution (≈0.25%) was obtained, and the 20 MeV 0⁺ state of the -particle was observed for the first time in electron scattering. The excitation energy and the total width of this state were determined and are in good agreement with the results from other experimental methods. It was found that the total disintegration cross section appears be smaller than 2(σ_p+σ_n) by more than an order of magnitude at the lowest q²(≈ 0.33 fm⁻²). In earlier work the assumption of a total cross section of 2(σ_p+σ_n) was found to be quite accurate for higher q². As a new result, the partial radiative width for the 0⁺ state is determined to be Γ_rad = 1.1±0.3 meV.     

Inelastic electron scattering from 31P

Form factors for the electroexcitation of the $\text{3}\text{2}$⁺ (1.27 MeV), $\text{5}\text{2}$⁺ (2.23 MeV), and $\text{3}\text{2}$⁺ (3.51 MeV) states in ³¹P have been measured for momentum transfers from 0.36 to 0.80 fm^?1 at the NBS electron scattering facility. In addition, form factors for the 2.23 MeV state in the momentum transfer range 0.74 to 1.78 fm^?1 have been extracted from data obtained in a previous experiment. Using the DUELS distorted-wave code the B(E2, ω) ↓ were found to be 6.0 ± 0.9, 6.9 ± 0.3, and 2.7 ± 0.3 W.u. for the 1.27, 2.23, and 3.51 MeV states, respectively. The form factors for these states, calculated using wave functions derived in an intermediate-coupling vibrational calculation, are compared with the data.     

Inelastic electron scattering from nuclear matter

The response function, which is directly related to the cross section for inelastic scattering of electrons from nuclear matter, is calculated with the help of a time-dependent perturbation theory using a separable potential. All diagrams through second order in the interaction are computed and their contributions compared. The self-energy problem is examined, and it is concluded that a Hartree-Fock approximation is preferable to one which attempts to takeK-matrix insertions into account. Results for the response function are compared with those of previous workers.     

Inelastic electron scattering from a Coulomb potential in a laser field

We present a theoretical study of inelastic electron scattering from a fixed Coulomb potential in the presence of a laser field, based on analytic expressions for the two-photon continuum-continuum transition matrix element. We present here the particular case of incident and scattered light polarizations orthogonal to each other and to the incident electron momentum. Results are given for the cross sections corresponding to the detection of electrons and polarized photons in coincidence, and for the detection of polarized photons only.     

Inelastic electron tunneling

Inelastic Electron Tunneling Spectroscopy (IETS) is a new technique for measuring the vibrational spectrum of minute quantities of organic compounds. Sensitivity is its key advantage over the conventional techniques of infrared and Raman spectroscopy. This article will first discuss the technique itself: its theoretical basis, selection rules, sensitivity, vibrational mode shifts due to surface interactions and superconductivity, and sample preparation. Then it will discuss applications of the technique to problems in biology, radiation physics, surface physics, and catalysis.     

Field electron emission from a carbon-covered iridium tip

Technical Physics - The formation of a carbon coating on an iridium field-emission electron emitter by benzene vapor pyrolysis has been studied. Processes on an emitting tip differ from those...     

Inelastic tunnelling and the pair-quasiparticle interference current in Josephson junctions

The contribution to the quasiparticle current and pair—quasiparticle interference current of inelastic tunnelling due to the excitation of a boson mode in the tunnelling barrier is evaluated.     

Inelastic electron scattering at 180° from 14C

Inelastic scattering of 37, 50, and 60 MeV electrons at 180° from ¹⁴C has been studied. Cross sections for the excitation of eight states in ¹⁴C with excitation energy less than 16 MeV have been observed. Most of the strength is observed to be concentrated in one transition at 11.31 MeV which is assigned a spin and parity of 1⁺. The total width of this state is observed to be 207 ± 13 keV, while the electromagnetic transition width is determined to be 6.8 ± 1.4 eV.     

Image potential from a free electron metal

We calculate the response of a free electron metal to a static charge Q located outside of the metal surface. We derive the electrostatic potential outside of the surface, inside of the surface, and the frequency response. Our derivation uses standard quantum mechanics, and the results are found exactly in the random phase approximation. Unlike prior calculations, which made approximations, our results do not agree with classical image theory.     

Inelastic electron scattering in nickel

Using a 200 keV electron spectrometer, with an energy resolution of ～0.25 eV and a momentum resolution of ～0.2 A^-1, we have measured the energy loss spectra for transmission of electrons through thin (～600 Å) Ni films. These results address the general question of the validity of momentum transfer estimates in electron loss scattering.Using low-energy electron backscattering, we have observed the dipole forbidden M₁ transition at 112 eV. For high-energy scattering, we have observed this transition only at high momentum transfer (q? 2 A^-1). These results indicates sizable contributions from high momentum transfer collisions in the low-energy experiments.     

Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy of a single nuclear spin

Detection of a single nuclear spin constitutes an outstanding problem in different fields of physics such as quantum computing or magnetic imaging. Here we show that the energy levels of a single nuclear spin can be measured by means of inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS). We consider two different systems, a magnetic adatom probed with scanning tunneling microscopy and a single Bi dopant in a silicon nanotransistor. We find that the hyperfine coupling opens new transport channels which can be resolved at experimentally accessible temperatures. Our simulations evince that IETS yields information about the occupations of the nuclear spin states, paving the way towards transport-detected single nuclear spin resonance.     

On the theory of electron tunnelling

A generalized expression for the differntial tunnelling current density based on the problem of electron energy distribution introduced during the process has been presented. This is directly applicable to junction devices for the evaluation of their tunnelling I–V characteristics. A list of symbols appear at the end of the paper.     

Inelastic electron backscattering in a generic helical edge channel

We evaluate the low-temperature conductance of a weakly interacting one-dimensional helical liquid without axial spin symmetry. The lack of that symmetry allows for inelastic backscattering of a single electron, accompanied by forward scattering of another. This joint effect of weak interactions and potential scattering off impurities results in a temperature-dependent deviation from the quantized conductance, δG ∝ T4. In addition, δG is sensitive to the position of the Fermi level. We determine numerically the parameters entering our generic model for the Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang Hamiltonian of a HgTe/CdTe quantum well in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling.     

Inelastic electron collisions with Rydberg atoms

The standard classical method of computer simulation is used for evaluation of the inelastic cross section in electron collisions with a highly excited (Rydberg) atom. In the course of collision, the incident and bound electrons move along classical trajectories in the Coulomb field of the nucleus, and the scattering parameters are averaged over many initial conditions. The reduced ionization cross section of a Rydberg atom by electron impact approximately corresponds to that of atoms in the ground states with valence s-electrons and coincides with the results of the previous Monte Carlo calculations. The cross section of an atom transition between Rydberg atom states as a result of electron impact is used for finding the stepwise ionization rate constant of atoms in collisions with electrons or the rate constant of three-body electron-ion recombination in a dense ionized gas because these processes are determined by kinetics of highly excited atom states. Surprisingly, the low-temperature limit of electron temperatures is realized when the electron thermal energy is lower than the atom ionization potential by about three orders of magnitude, as follows from the kinetics of excited atom states. The article is published in the original.     

Inelastic electron scattering from hydrogen at 50° and 60°

Inelastic electron scattering cross sections have been measured for four-momentum transfers between 4.1 GeV² and 30.5 GeV². At the large scattering angles of this experiment, the dominant contribution to the cross section comes from the W₁ structure function. In the conventional scaling variables, x and x′, this structure function does not exhibit scaling behavior, and at fixed x or x′ it is found to decrease with increasing four-momentum transfer.