Dresden 2009 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 46: Time-resolved spectroscopies I

O 46.4: Talk

Thursday, March 26, 2009, 11:15–11:30, SCH A315

Lifetime reduction of surface states caused by impurity scattering — •Swantje Heers, Phivos Mavropoulos, Samir Lounis, and Stefan Blügel — Institut für Festkörperforschung and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany

In order to describe the dynamics of charge transport, localization and quantum information on metal surfaces it is of crucial importance to understand the temporal evolution of quasiparticles (electrons and holes) in surface states, characterized by a lifetime τ. This lifetime is strongly reduced by scattering at impurities, vacancies and adatoms. Using the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker Green function method [1], the elastic scattering rate 1/τ can be calculated for adatoms as well as impurities and vacancies in and below the surface. We have performed calculations for the Cu(111) surface of finite-thickness slabs, investigating the lifetime of the Cu(111) surface state for the whole series of 3d transition metals as impurities. The thickness of the slab is varied, ranging from six to forty atomic layers. Our formalism allows us to separate the lifetime reduction induced by scattering to bulk states from scattering to surface states. We show that trends through the 3d series are qualitatively different for adatoms, compared to impurities in the surface. This work was supported by the ESF EUROCORES Programme SONS under contract N. ERAS-CT-2003-980409 and the Priority Programme SPP1153 of the DFG grant Bl 444/8-1.
N. Papanikolaou, R. Zeller, P. H. Dederichs J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 14, 2799 (2002).