Experimental Study of Electronic States at Metal-Dielectric Interfaces.
Abstract
The method of attenuated total reflection has been used in the visible region to obtain precise values of the dielectric function of Ag films in contact with different dielectric media. By measuring, at eight visible laser wavelengths, the surface-plasmon resonance of an Ag film against air and then against an organic liquid, we show that for both cases the dielectric function can be described by the Drude model with the well-known frequency-dependent relaxation time. The observed change in the frequency dependent parameters appears to eliminate all previous models which have been proposed to describe this frequency dependent relaxation time. The observed changes are consistent with the idea of a complex relaxation time whose real and imaginary parts are connected in a casual way. The index-of-refraction dependence of the Drude parameters demonstrates that surface electrodynamics must play an important role. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 23, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA167724
Entities
People
- A. J. Sievers
Organizations
- Cornell University