Understanding the high neutralization yields in collisions of keV Li+ ions with copper surfaces

C. MEYER; F. BONETTO; R. VIDAL; EVELINA A. GARCÍA; C. GONZÁLEZ; J. FERRÓN; E. C. GOLDBERG

PHYSICAL REVIEW A - ATOMIC, MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS

AMER PHYSICAL SOC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2012 vol. 86 p. 329011 - 329018

1050-2947

Measurements of neutral atom fractions for Li+ scattered by Cu(111) and Cu(001) surfaces as a functionof the exit ion energy and exit angle are reported. Large neutralization rates (between 20% and 60%) arefound in all cases. A first-principles quantum-mechanical based theoretical formalism is applied to describethe time-dependent scattering process, where neutralization to the Li ground state is considered as the uniquerelevant charge transfer channel during the collision. The increase of the neutralization fraction as the exit energydecreases is well described by the model. The proximity of the projectile energy level to the solid Fermi leveland the large extension of the ion-surface coupling interactions, affecting a large number of surface atoms, playa decisive role in explaining the experimental yields.