Photoionization Dynamics in Confined Atomic Systems
Summary
Photoionization dynamics in confined atomic systems explores how atoms or ions behave when they absorb photons while enclosed within nanoscale cavities or molecular cages. Such confinement alters the pathways and probabilities of electron emission, giving rise to interference effects known as confinement resonances. Experimental techniques ranging from synchrotron radiation to attosecond laser pulses enable time-resolved measurements of photoelectron emission, while theoretical approaches—such as Hartree–Fock, R-matrix and density functional calculations—provide insight into how the local potential of the confining structure reshapes cross-section profiles and time delays. Investigations span endohedral fullerenes, semiconductor quantum dots and rare-gas clusters, revealing modifications to giant resonances, spin polarisation of emitted electrons and charge migration between the guest atom and host cage. The interplay of experimental observation and computational modelling has led to a deeper understanding of fundamental electron–photon interactions in restricted geometries. These findings have implications for the design of nanoscale optoelectronic devices, quantum information processing and controlled photo-induced chemistry, as confinement can be harnessed to tailor electron emission characteristics for technological applications.
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Photoionization Dynamics in Confined Atomic Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in photoionization dynamics in confined atomic systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Photoionization: Process by which an atom or ion absorbs a photon and ejects one or more electrons.
Confinement resonance: Modulation of photoionization cross-sections due to constructive and destructive interference of electron waves within a confining potential.
Endohedral atom: An atom or ion that is trapped inside a molecular cage, such as a fullerene.
Photoelectron time delay: The temporal shift between photon absorption and electron emission, measurable on attosecond scales.
Photodetachment cross-section: Probability measure for removing an electron from an anion by photon absorption.
References
- Confinement Resonances in Photoionization of Xe@C60+. Physical Review Letters (2010).
- Spin-Polarized Photoelectron Fluxes from Fullerene Anions. Atoms (2020).
- Experimental studies on photoabsorption by endohedral fullerene ions with a focus on Xe@C60 + confinement resonances. Physica Scripta (2021).
- Impact of Charge Migration and the Angle-Resolved Photoionization Time Delays of the Free and Confined Atom X@C60. Atoms (2022).
- A Glimpse into Photodetachment Spectra of Giant and Nested Fullerene Anions. Atoms (2022).
- Relativistic R-matrix calculation photoionization cross section of Xe and Xe@C60. Journal of Physics Conference Series (2015).
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