Researchers build a probe capable of capturing the motion of electrons in a nanoparticle
Friday, January 6, 2012 - 08:31
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have known for quite some time that when light strikes objects, electrons are excited causing a tiny bit of oscillation to occur that results in the creation of an electric field. They also know that the amount of oscillation differs between different types of materials; electrons in metals such as gold and silver, for example, tend to oscillate more than do electrons in other materials. But what hasnt been well understood is what happens with electron oscillations in metals that are smaller than the wavelengths of light that are striking it.