Phys.org July 16, 2021
To understand how fast excited electrons in the bulk and on the surface of Sb react to the external energy input, and to explore the mechanisms governing their response an international team of researchers (Germany, Russia, Ireland) used time-, spin- and angle-resolved photoemission to femtosecond-laser excitation. The data showed a ‘kink’ structure in transiently occupied energy-momentum dispersion of surface states, which can be interpreted as an increase in effective electron mass. They were able to show that this mass enhancement plays a decisive role in determining the complex interplay in the dynamical behaviors of electrons from the bulk and the surface, also depending on their spin, following the ultrafast optical excitation. The findings may lead to spintronic devices based on topological materials for ultrafast information processing…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Experimental geometry and sample characterization. Credit: Communications Physics volume 4, Article number: 165 (2021)Â