Events

Exciting Slow Electrons in Solids

An electron in a solid can deform the surrounding lattice, forming a polaron whose motion through the crystal is usually substantially slowed. Using a first-principles framework, I will explore how optical absorption reveals the internal structure of these “slow electrons.” In the real materials LiF and TiO2, we identify Rydberg polarons in atomic detail and explain infrared absorption in good agreement with experiments, respectively. Both these electronic excitations and lattice vibrations shape the absorption spectrum. Our results show that polarons possess a rich manifold of excited states that can be accessed experimentally and serve as stringent tests of polaron theories.