Hybridization and coherence in subshell differential intercluster plasmonic decay in Na20@C240

What is it about?

Extreme ultraviolet laser can instigate collective oscillations of electrons in a fullerene molecule at two different energies. These choral dances are known as the giant (GPR) and high-energy (HPR) plasmon resonances. We found that when a metal-atomic cluster is placed in the fullerene, some of these electrons extend to the cluster. They bring energy to induce new choral dances in the cluster. Our study reveals that due to this hybridization between the cluster and fullerene, a corridor is established for electrons to dynamically switch between systems. The process leads to an efficient, large-scale energy transfer. When the party is over, electrons leave the floors in torrents and can be detected by photoelectron spectroscopy to know which system they exited.

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Why is it important?

This inter-cluster plasmonic motion of electrons and their subsequent exit, termed as the plasmonic resonant inter-Coulombic decay (RICD), is investigated for a Na20 cluster confined in a C240 fullerene. The mechanism is found to be the sum of a pure, dominant plasmonic transfer decaying through the Na20 ionization process and an Auger decay, RSAD, via the ionization of super atomic molecular orbital (SAMO) electrons of C240. Simulations show a quantum coherence between the two pathways both at the giant and higher plasmon energies, leading to an enhanced ionization signal from Na20.

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