Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leads

Current nanoscale optoelectronic devices can reach femtosecond response times by exploiting highly nonlinear light–matter interactions. Shaping of the field waveform of few-cycle optical pulses allows one to control electron emission from nanotips and nanoparticles as well as to drive electron trans...

ver descrição completa

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Borisov, Andrei G., Ma, Boyang, Zapata-Herrera, Mario, Babaze, Antton, Krüger, Michael, Aizpurua, Javier
Tipo de documento: artigo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Data de publicação:2025
País:España
Recursos:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositório:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/392761
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/392761
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Palavra-chave:Nanojunction
Single-cycle laser pulse
Photon-assisted tunneling
Multiphoton emission
Optical field emission
TDDFT
id ES_b0e84b3dbe7600a324cd6bca32e49b64
oai_identifier_str oai:digital.csic.es:10261/392761
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leadsBorisov, Andrei G.Ma, BoyangZapata-Herrera, MarioBabaze, AnttonKrüger, MichaelAizpurua, JavierNanojunctionSingle-cycle laser pulsePhoton-assisted tunnelingMultiphoton emissionOptical field emissionTDDFTCurrent nanoscale optoelectronic devices can reach femtosecond response times by exploiting highly nonlinear light–matter interactions. Shaping of the field waveform of few-cycle optical pulses allows one to control electron emission from nanotips and nanoparticles as well as to drive electron transport in ≳10 nm wide plasmonic gaps. In this work, we address the less explored optically induced electron transport in much narrower, 1–2 nm metallic gaps of interest in many practical situations such as in light-wave-driven scanning tunneling microscopy or in transduction between electrons and photons for optoelectronic applications. Using the time-dependent density functional theory, model calculations, and semi-classical electron trajectories derived from an analytical strong-field model, we bring robust evidence that the sub-cycle bursts of photoemitted electrons might cross the gap prior to the change of the sign of the optical field and thus without experiencing quiver motion. This leads to a characteristic carrier-envelope phase dependence of the net electron transport. Most importantly, we show that in the optical field emission regime, continuous acceleration of electron bursts moving in the gap by an optical field results in high electron energies. The electron current in a narrow-gap nanocircuit is then associated with hot electron injection into the metallic leads characterized by a non-thermal post-injection energy distribution. This is in contrast with electron transport through wide gaps dominated by low-energy electrons. Our results contribute to the design of optoelectronic devices operating on femtosecond temporal and nanometer spatial scales.B.M. and M.K. acknowledge funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 853393-ERC-ATTIDA and from the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) under grant 1504/20, as well as partial financial support from the Helen Diller Quantum Center at the Technion. J.A. and M.Z.-H. acknowledge funding from the European Union’s MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and from “ERDF, EU A way of making Europe” through project PID2022-139579NB-I00, as well as funding from the Department of Education, Research, and Universities of the Basque Government through project No. IT1526-22.Peer reviewedAmerican Chemical SocietyEuropean CommissionEuropean Research CouncilIsrael Science FoundationEusko JaurlaritzaUniversidad del País VascoAgencia Estatal de Investigación (España)Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]202520252025info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Postprintinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/392761reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Inglés#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE##PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/853393info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023/PID2022-139579NB-I00Borisov, Andrei G.; Ma, Boyang; Zapata-Herrera, Mario; Babaze, Antton; Krüger, Michael; Aizpurua, Javier; 2025; Supporting Information: Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leads [Dataset]; American Chemical Society; https://doi.org/10.1021/acsphotonics.4c02612https://doi.org/10.1021/acsphotonics.4c02612Síinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/3927612026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leads
title Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leads
spellingShingle Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leads
Borisov, Andrei G.
Nanojunction
Single-cycle laser pulse
Photon-assisted tunneling
Multiphoton emission
Optical field emission
TDDFT
title_short Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leads
title_full Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leads
title_fullStr Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leads
title_full_unstemmed Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leads
title_sort Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leads
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Borisov, Andrei G.
Ma, Boyang
Zapata-Herrera, Mario
Babaze, Antton
Krüger, Michael
Aizpurua, Javier
author Borisov, Andrei G.
author_facet Borisov, Andrei G.
Ma, Boyang
Zapata-Herrera, Mario
Babaze, Antton
Krüger, Michael
Aizpurua, Javier
author_role author
author2 Ma, Boyang
Zapata-Herrera, Mario
Babaze, Antton
Krüger, Michael
Aizpurua, Javier
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv European Commission
European Research Council
Israel Science Foundation
Eusko Jaurlaritza
Universidad del País Vasco
Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Nanojunction
Single-cycle laser pulse
Photon-assisted tunneling
Multiphoton emission
Optical field emission
TDDFT
topic Nanojunction
Single-cycle laser pulse
Photon-assisted tunneling
Multiphoton emission
Optical field emission
TDDFT
description Current nanoscale optoelectronic devices can reach femtosecond response times by exploiting highly nonlinear light–matter interactions. Shaping of the field waveform of few-cycle optical pulses allows one to control electron emission from nanotips and nanoparticles as well as to drive electron transport in ≳10 nm wide plasmonic gaps. In this work, we address the less explored optically induced electron transport in much narrower, 1–2 nm metallic gaps of interest in many practical situations such as in light-wave-driven scanning tunneling microscopy or in transduction between electrons and photons for optoelectronic applications. Using the time-dependent density functional theory, model calculations, and semi-classical electron trajectories derived from an analytical strong-field model, we bring robust evidence that the sub-cycle bursts of photoemitted electrons might cross the gap prior to the change of the sign of the optical field and thus without experiencing quiver motion. This leads to a characteristic carrier-envelope phase dependence of the net electron transport. Most importantly, we show that in the optical field emission regime, continuous acceleration of electron bursts moving in the gap by an optical field results in high electron energies. The electron current in a narrow-gap nanocircuit is then associated with hot electron injection into the metallic leads characterized by a non-thermal post-injection energy distribution. This is in contrast with electron transport through wide gaps dominated by low-energy electrons. Our results contribute to the design of optoelectronic devices operating on femtosecond temporal and nanometer spatial scales.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025
2025
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Postprint
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/392761
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/392761
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv #PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/853393
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023/PID2022-139579NB-I00
Borisov, Andrei G.; Ma, Boyang; Zapata-Herrera, Mario; Babaze, Antton; Krüger, Michael; Aizpurua, Javier; 2025; Supporting Information: Femtosecond optical-field-driven currents in few-nanometer-size gaps with hot electron injection into metallic leads [Dataset]; American Chemical Society; https://doi.org/10.1021/acsphotonics.4c02612
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsphotonics.4c02612
Sí
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv American Chemical Society
publisher.none.fl_str_mv American Chemical Society
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1869416865875361792
score 15,81155

Registros relacionados