Long-Range Scattering of Electrons by Electron-Hole Pair Excitations at Metal Surfaces

Abstract

The low-energy regime (0.1-0.3 eV) of the electron-energy-loss spectrum from a clean Cu(100) surface has been measured. The experimental data show excellent agreement with predictions from a jellium calculation of the response function $g(q_{\parallel }, \omega )$. The weak inelastic signal derives from long-range excitation of electron-hole pairs; the surface potential and the spatial variation of the potential from the probing electron are the prime momentum sources.