Plasmon wake in anisotropic two-dimensional materials

Abstract

We use analytically tractable dielectric response models, which are supported by ab initio calculations for anisotropic two-dimensional (2D) materials and quasi-2D metals that host slow plasmons, to reveal a rich variety of the plasmonic wake patterns in the electric potential induced by a charged particle moving parallel to those materials. Using the method of stationary phase, we discover surprising analogies with Kelvin's ship wakes and atmospheric wakes regarding the asymmetry of the wake, slowing down of the plasmon dispersion, and the onset of Mach-like wake due to nonlocal effects in the dielectric response.