Düsseldorf 2007 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 3: Atomic Clusters I

A 3.7: Talk

Monday, March 19, 2007, 12:15–12:30, 5M

Determination of the electron effective mass in clusters — •Oleg Kostko and Bernd von Issendorff — Fakultät für Physik, Universität Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 21, 79104 Freiburg

In the bulk the electron effective mass, the inverse curvature of the dispersion curve, is strongly influenced by electron-electron and electron-lattice interactions. It is a question how this parameter changes for nanoscale particles, and how it can be determined. Here we show that this is possible for clusters with a density of states in accordance with the free electron model.

Scaling the photoelectron spectra of sodium, copper and silver clusters with similar peak distribution, one can find the relative effective masses of these elements. Solving the Schrödinger equation for sodium clusters and comparing the energy eigenvalues obtained with the electronic shells observed in the photoelectron spectra additionally allows to find absolute values of the sodium electron effective mass. The values obtained in this way are in surprisingly good agreement with the known bulk values.