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. 2020 Apr 17;13(8):1890.
doi: 10.3390/ma13081890.

Negative Effective Mass in Plasmonic Systems

Edward Bormashenko  1 , Irina Legchenkova  1
Affiliations

Negative Effective Mass in Plasmonic Systems

Edward Bormashenko et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

We report the negative effective mass (density) metamaterials based on the electro-mechanical coupling exploiting plasma oscillations of a free electron gas. The negative mass appears as a result of the vibration of a metallic particle with a frequency of ω, which is close the frequency of the plasma oscillations of the electron gas m 2 relative to the ionic lattice m 1 . The plasma oscillations are represented with the elastic spring k 2 = ω p 2 m 2 , where ω p is the plasma frequency. Thus, the metallic particle vibrated with the external frequency ω is described by the effective mass m e f f = m 1 + m 2 ω p 2 ω p 2 - ω 2 , which is negative when the frequency ω approaches ω p from above. The idea is exemplified with two conducting metals, namely Au and Li.

Keywords: low frequency plasmons; metamaterials; negative effective mass; plasma oscillations.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Core with mass m2  is connected internally through the spring with k2 to a shell with mass m1. The system is subjected to the sinusoidal force F(t)=F^sinωt. (B) Free electrons gas m2 is embedded into the ionic lattice m1; ωp is the plasma frequency (the left sketch). The equivalent mechanical scheme of the system (right sketch).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The dependence of the dimensionless mass meff/(m1+m2) on the ratio ω/ωp is plotted; the red line corresponds to Au; the blue line corresponds to Li.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The dependence of the dimensionless effective mass calculated for Li on the ω−ωpωp=Δωωp.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The dependence of the dimensionless effective mass calculated for Au on the ω−ωpωp=Δωωp.
Figure 5
Figure 5
One-dimensional lattice built of metallic wires 2r connected with springs k1. The separation between wires is a.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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