Formation of Plasmons in Secondary-Electron Emission Spectra at a Low-Energy Electron Radiation of a Surface of a Pt80Co20(111) Alloy

Abstract

A method of the electron energy loss spectroscopy is used to investigate a manifestation of the plasmons in the secondary electron emission spectra for the ordering Pt80Co20(111)Pt80Co20(111) alloy. The method is offered for determination of a ‘surface–bulk’ boundary based on the dependences of line intensities of the surface and bulk plasmons on the primary-electron energies within the range of 150–700 eV. As revealed, the thickness of nanosize surface layer for the disordered Pt80Co20(111) alloy is twice as much than thickness for the ordered state. Under ordering of an alloy at issue, the greater quantity of conduction electrons takes part in plasma oscillations.

Keywords

• pt80co20 alloy
• ordering
• surface plasmons
• bulk plasmons
• chracteristic electron energy losses