Login / Signup

Regulation of Hot Electrons Transport Achieved through Controlled Electron-Phonon Coupling in Metallic Heterostructures.

Yingjie WangKeming LiLan JiangGuoquan GaoJiafang LiTong Zhu
Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) (2024)
The electron-phonon (e-ph) interactions are pivotal in shaping the electrical and thermal properties, and in particular, determining the carrier dynamics and transport behaviors in optoelectronic devices. By employing pump-probe spectroscopy and ultrafast microscopy, the consequential role of e-ph coupling strength in the spatiotemporal evolution of hot electrons is elucidated. Thermal transport across the metallic interface is controlled to regulate effective e-ph coupling factor G eff in Au and Au/Cr heterostructure, and their impact on nonequilibrium transport of hot electrons is examined. Via the modulation of buried Cr thickness, a strong correlation between G eff and the diffusive behavior of hot electrons is found. By enhancing G eff through the regulation of thermal transport across interface, there is a significant reduction in e-ph thermalization time, the maximum diffusion length of hot electrons, and lattice heated area which are extracted from the spatiotemporal evolution profiles. Therefore, the increased G eff significantly weakens the diffusion of hot electrons and promotes heat relaxation of electron subsystems in both time and space. These insights propose a robust framework for spatiotemporal investigations of G impact on hot electron diffusion, underscoring its significance in the rational design of advanced optoelectronic devices with high efficiency.
Keyphrases
  • room temperature
  • electron transfer
  • high efficiency
  • single molecule
  • high resolution
  • sensitive detection
  • solar cells
  • gold nanoparticles
  • mass spectrometry
  • ionic liquid
  • heat stress