In this talk, we will describe our recent experimental advances that have enabled the direct measurement of hot-carrier energy distributions under steady-state conditions [1]. Specifically, we will explain how a scanning probe-based technique that records charge transport through single molecular junctions, when combined with nanoplasmonic experimental methods, can be leveraged to directly quantify hot-carrier energy distributions in a key model system—a thin gold film that supports propagating surface plasmon polaritons. Furthermore, key physical insights from our measurements on the role of Landau damping in producing hot-carriers and the contributions of different plasmonic modes towards hot-carrier generation will be discussed. Finally, we will outline how these experimental advances could potentially be leveraged to quantify hot-carrier distributions in plasmonic nanoparticles and other nanophotonic devices.
Harsha Reddy received his B. Tech in Electronics and Electrical Communications Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kargpur in 2014. He obtained his PhD in Electrical Engineering in May
2020, working with Prof. Vladimir M. Shalaev at Purdue University.
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