Extreme plasmons

Abstract

Nanosciences largely rely on plasmons which are quasiparticles constituted by collective oscillations of quantum electron gas composed of conduction band electrons that occupy discrete quantum states. Our work has introduced non-perturbative plasmons with oscillation amplitudes that approach the extreme limit set by breakdown in characteristic coherence. In contrast, conventional plasmons are small-amplitude oscillations. Controlled excitation of extreme plasmons modeled in our work unleashes unprecedented Petavolts per meter fields. In this work, an analytical model of this new class of plasmons is developed based on quantum kinetic framework. A controllable extreme plasmon, the surface "crunch-in" plasmon, is modeled here using a modified independent electron approximation which takes into account the quantum oscillation frequency. Key characteristics of such realizable extreme plasmons that unlock unparalleled possibilities, are obtained.