Speaker: Prof. Akira Terasaki
Department of Chemistry, Kyushu University,
Fukuoka, Japan
Title: Electronic structures of silver and doped-silver
clusters probed by photoelectron-imaging and
photoabsorption spectroscopyâ€.
Day and Date: Friday, January 05, 2024
Time: 16.00 Hrs.
Venue: Room no. 350, Chemistry Department
Second floor, Annex
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Hosted by Prof. G. Naresh Patwari
Abstract Silver clusters, consisting of several to tens of Ag atoms, are known to be
modeled by a three-dimensional quantum well, where free electrons
originating from valence Ag 5s are confined. Since the quantum well forms
discrete energy levels denoted as 1S, 1P, 1D, 2S, etc., the free electrons
are accommodated in these so-called superatomic orbitals in accordance with
the number of electrons contributing to orbital filling. Here we
demonstrate by our photoelectron-imaging experiment that such orbitals are
indeed formed. For example, 1S21P61D102S1 configuration with 19 valence
electrons would be realized for the anionic Ag18- cluster. Its
photoelectron image exhibits an angular anisotropy characteristic of
detachment from an S-type orbital, providing us with a firm evidence for
the 2S character of the outermost orbital [1]. A similar anisotropy is
observed for Ag15Sc-, which is shown to be an analogue of
Ag18- with contributions of three electrons from Sc 3d14s2 [2]. We also
examine closed-shell clusters with 1S21P61D10 configuration as well as
other species in a broad size range. Furthermore, photoabsorption
spectroscopy will be presented to discuss plasmonic behaviors of silver
clusters [3].