Spin-Polarized Photoelectron Fluxes from Fullerene Anions

Valeriy K Dolmatov

doi:10.3390/atoms8040065

Abstract

Initial insights into spin-polarized photoelectron fluxes from fullerene anions are presented here. Both the angle-dependent and angle-integrated degrees of spin polarization of said photoelectron fluxes are discussed. Empty C60−(2p) and endohedral H@C60−(2p) and He@C60−(2p) anions, where the attached electron resides in a 2p state, are chosen as case studies. We uncover the characteristics of the phenomenon in the framework of a semi-empirical methodology where the C60 cage is modeled by a spherical annular potential, rather than aiming at a rigorous study. It is found that the spin-polarization degree of photoelectron fluxes from fullerene anions can reach large values, including a nearly complete polarization, at/in specific values/domains of the photoelectron momentum. This is shown to correlate with an inherent feature of photoionization of fullerenes, the abundance of resonances, known as confinement resonances, in their photodetachment spectra owing to a large empty space inside fullerenes. Moreover, the results obtained can serve as a touchstone for future studies of the phenomenon by more rigorous theories and/or experiments to reveal the significance of interactions omitted in the present study.

Highlights

This is shown to correlate with an inherent feature of photoionization of fullerenes, the abundance of resonances, known as confinement resonances, in their photodetachment spectra owing to a large empty space inside fullerenes
We investigate and predict peculiarities in spin-polarized photoelectron fluxes upon photodetachment of a C60 (2p) fullerene, where an external electron is captured into a 2p-state in the field of the C60 cage
We have provided a glimpse into spin-polarized photoelectron fluxes from fullerene anions

Summary

Introduction

The present paper, provides a broad initial investigation into spin-polarized photoelectron fluxes from fullerene anions, albeit being carried out within a simple (semi-)empirical model. The latter is similar in its spirit to the (semi-)empirical model originally suggested in [4] and (n). The plasmon electron in C60 effectqon photodetachment of these fullerene anions should start matter at the photoelectron momenta k = 2(hω + E2p ) ≥ 0.7 a.u. in the range of k’s up to k ≈ 0.7 a.u. one can reasonably expect that the utilized in the present work model is usable, to a good approximation.

Cherepkov’S Theory of Spin-Polarized Photoelectron Fluxes from Atoms

Modeling Fullerene Anion Photodetachment

Results and Discussion

Conclusions