Correlation-Induced Double-Plasmon Excitation in Simple Metals Studied by Inelastic X-Ray Scattering

Andrei Goussarov, C. Sternemann, S. Huotari, G. Vankó, M. Volmer, G. Monaco, H. Lustfeld, K. Sturm, W. Schülke, Marco Van Uffelen

    Research outputpeer-review

    Abstract

    We report a new type of peaklike structure observed in the tail of the dynamic structure factor of simple metals, measured by inelastic x-ray scattering. Based on the momentum-transfer dependence of the energy position and the intensity of this structure, it has been unambiguously attributed to intrinsic plasmon-plasmon excitations, an electronic correlation effect that was theoretically predicted by many-body perturbation theory of the homogeneous-electron-gas model beyond the random-phase approximation. This signature appears to be largely unaffected by electron-ion interaction effects. Thus a structure that is primarily caused by correlation effects in the electron gas has been found experimentally in the dynamic structure factor of simple metals.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)157401-4
    JournalPhysical review Letters
    Volume95
    Issue number15
    StatePublished - Oct 2005

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