arXiv subjects

Fatemeh Kiani

Publications and source records attributed to Fatemeh Kiani.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Spin-Polarized Oxygen Evolution in Chiral-Molecule-Modified Plasmonic Photoanodes

Photoelectrochemical oxygen evolution is limited not only by multi-electron charge-transfer kinetics but also by the spin constraints associated with forming triplet O2. Here, we used a hybrid photoanode architecture to demonstrate spin-polarization of plasmonic hot holes through a chiral molecular layer. TiO2 photoanodes were modified with achiral Au nanoparticles to introduce visible-light plasmonic absorption, functionalized with cysteine as a chiral molecular interface, and coated with a NiFe-based oxygen-evolution catalyst. Wavelength-resolved photo-scanning electrochemical microscopy was used to directly detect locally evolved O2 under operando illumination while simultaneously monitoring the photoanode current. Chiral functionalization with homochiral L-cysteine enhanced both photocurrent and local O2 evolution relative to racemic DL-cysteine controls. The chirality-dependent enhancement was most pronounced under visible excitation overlapping the Au plasmon resonance, including a 130% photocurrent increase. These results provide evidence that chiral molecular layers, often used for chiral nanoparticle synthesis, can directly modulate plasmon-derived hot-carrier transfer through the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. This work establishes a chiral plasmonic photoelectrochemical platform for coupling hot-carrier generation to spin-dependent water oxidation.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2026

Determining Electron Beam Lateral Coherence in a Scanning Electron Microscope Using Electron Diffraction

We develop and characterize scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) capabilities within a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to investigate the effective lateral coherence of the electron beam (e-beam) in the specimen plane. Using single-crystalline Au flakes and a sample composed of a monolayer of graphene, we obtain high-quality selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) maps and convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED) patterns, validating the systems ability to probe crystallographic information at an acceleration voltage of 30 keV. Building on these capabilities, we implement a method, which is adapted from techniques traditionally used in transmission electron microscopy, to measure the degree of lateral coherence of the e-beam in the specimen plane of the SEM. By analyzing interference between electrons with two different wave vectors separated by 0.031 per angstrom, we extract a lower limit for the degree of lateral coherence over 5% of the e-beam diameter of approximately 60%. These coherence values are sufficient to enable quantum-coherent electron-light-matter interaction experiments in the SEM.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Revealing Wavelength- and Size-Dependent CO2 Reduction Selectivity via Operando Scanning Photo-Electrochemical Microscopy

Controlling product selectivity in plasmonic catalysis, particularly in CO2 reduction (CO2R), remains a central unsolved challenge with direct implications for light-driven fuel and chemical synthesis. Here, we deploy quantitative operando scanning photoelectrochemical microscopy (photo-SECM) to provide a direct demonstration that tuning photon energy switches CO2R selectivity through an electronically driven pathway. On plasmonic Au/p-GaN photocathodes, interband excitation (460-560 nm) drives selective CO production while intraband excitation (640-800 nm) favors H2 evolution. By maintaining constant absorbed power across wavelengths and confirming linear power dependence, we isolate the role of hot-carrier energy from photonic and photothermal contributions. Density functional theory calculations reveal that higher-energy interband excitation progressively increases the overlap between hot-electron-accessible states and the CO-producing intermediate, selectively promoting CO over formate, in excellent agreement with experiment. We further show that selectivity is geometrically gated by hot-carrier transport: sub-100 nm nanostructures sustain CO2R activity, while ~300 nm nanodisks suffer transport losses that suppress it, consistent with ab initio hot-carrier transport calculations. Together, these results establish photon energy, carrier transport, and nanostructure geometry as coupled design parameters for plasmonic CO2R selectivity, resolve a longstanding debate on the origin of plasmon-driven selectivity effects, and position photo-SECM as a broadly applicable operando platform for photo(electro)catalysis.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2025

Thin-wall Single-crystal Gold Nanoelectrodes towards Advanced Chemical Probing and Imaging

Thin-wall metal ultramicro- and nanoelectrodes (UMEs/NEs), especially gold NEs, are indispensable for high-resolution electrochemical microscopy, biosensing, and fundamental research. However, their damage susceptibility and the lack of scalable fabrication methods hinder broader adoption. We present a versatile wet-chemical approach for high-throughput fabrication of thin-wall Au NEs/UMEs and multifunctional NEs with ~80% reproducibility. This method is based on a unique template-assisted 1D growth of single-crystalline Au in borosilicate nanopipettes followed by electrochemical contacting with tungsten microwires, and focused ion beam milling, ensuring precise control over NEs dimensions. Adaptable to various metals and integrable in multifunctional probes, the method facilitates batch production of high-quality NEs with standardized electrical connections. Structural and electrochemical characterization reveals a twinned single-crystalline Au core, a seamless Au/glass interface, and highly stable electrochemical performance. Notably, smaller electrodes exhibit higher current densities, enhancing chemical detection sensitivity. Specifically, we demonstrate outstanding spatial (< 200 nm) and current (< 1 pA) resolutions, low limit of detection (~11.0 μM) and high stability (7 h) in scanning photoelectrochemical microscopy (photo-SECM), by detecting photo-oxidation reaction on atomically smooth Au micro-flakes. We also demonstrate growth in double-barrel pipettes for SECM/SICM probes as well as Pt NEs. Overall, this scalable method addresses longstanding challenges in NEs, paving the way for advanced electrochemical and spectro-electrochemical microscopy, including SERS/TERS integration. With single-crystalline surfaces, these electrodes open new frontiers in catalysis, interfacial electrochemistry, biosensing, and molecular-scale investigations.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2025

Large area monocrystalline and surfactant-free copper microflake synthesis

Copper is one of the most extensively studied materials for energy conversion and catalytic systems, with a wide range of other applications from nanophotonics to biotechnology. However, existing synthesis methods are limited with many undesirable by-products and poorly defined morphologies. Here, we report a surfactant-free on-substrate wet synthesis approach that yields monocrystalline metallic Cu microflakes with (111) crystalline exposed surface. By systematically studying the growth mechanism, we achieve unprecedented sizes of more than 130 μm, which is two orders of magnitude larger than reported in most previous studies, along with higher aspect ratios of over 400. Furthermore, we show distinctly higher stability against oxidation provided by the halide adlayer. Overall, our facile synthesis approach delivers an exciting venue for the emerging fields of catalysis and nanophotonics.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2024

Distinguishing Inner and Outer-Sphere Hot Electron Transfer in Au/p-GaN Photocathodes

Exploring nonequilibrium hot carriers from plasmonic metal nanostructures is a dynamic field in optoelectronics, driving photochemical reactions such as solar fuel generation. The hot carrier injection mechanism and the reaction rate are highly impacted by the metal/molecule interaction. However, determining the primary type of the reaction and thus the injection mechanism of the hot carriers has remained elusive. In this work, we reveal an electron injection mechanism deviating from a purely outersphere process for the reduction of ferricyanide redox molecule in a gold/p-type gallium nitride (Au/p- GaN) photocathode system. Combining our experimental approach with ab initio simulations, we discover that the efficient inner-sphere transfer of low-energy electrons leads to a continuous enhancement in the photocathode device performance in the interband regime. These findings provide important mechanistic insights, showing our methodology as a powerful tool for analyzing and engineering hot-carrier-driven processes in plasmonic photocatalytic systems and optoelectronic devices.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2024

Fourier analysis of near-field patterns generated by propagating polaritons

Scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM) has become an essential tool to study polaritons - quasiparticles of light coupled to collective charge oscillations - via direct probing of their near field with a spatial resolution far beyond the diffraction limit. However, extraction of the polariton complex propagation constant from the near-field images requires subtle considerations that have not received necessary attention so far. In this study, we discuss important yet overlooked aspects of the near-field analysis. First, we experimentally demonstrate that the sample orientation inside the s-SNOM may significantly affect the near-field interference pattern of mid-infrared polaritons, leading to an error in momentum measurement up to 7.7% even for the modes with effective index of 12.5. Second, we establish a methodology to correctly extract the polariton damping rate from the interference fringes depending on their origin - the s-SNOM nano-tip or the material edge. Overall, our work provides a unified framework for the accurate extraction of the polariton momentum and damping from the near-field interference fringes.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Ultrafast Hot-Carrier Dynamics in Ultrathin Monocrystalline Gold

Applications in photodetection, photochemistry, and active metamaterials and metasurfaces require fundamental understanding of ultrafast nonthermal and thermal electron processes in metallic nanosystems. Significant progress has been recently achieved in synthesis and investigation of low-loss monocrystalline gold, opening up opportunities for its use in ultrathin nanophotonic architectures. Here, we reveal fundamental differences in hot-electron thermalisation dynamics between monocrystalline and polycrystalline ultrathin (down to 10 nm thickness) gold films. Comparison of weak and strong excitation regimes showcases a counterintuitive unique interplay between thermalised and non-thermalised electron dynamics in mesoscopic gold with the important influence of the X-point interband transitions on the intraband electron relaxation. We also experimentally demonstrate the effect of hot-electron transfer into a substrate and the substrate thermal properties on electron-electron and electron-phonon scattering in ultrathin films. The hot-electron injection efficiency from monocrystalline gold into TiO2, approaching 9% is measured, close to the theoretical limit. These experimental and modelling results reveal the important role of crystallinity and interfaces on the microscopic electronic processes important in numerous applications.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Quantum-mechanical effects in photoluminescence from thin crystalline gold films

Luminescence constitutes a unique source of insight into hot carrier processes in metals, including those in plasmonic nanostructures used for sensing and energy applications. However, being weak in nature, metal luminescence remains poorly understood, its microscopic origin strongly debated, and its potential for unravelling nanoscale carrier dynamics largely unexploited. Here, we reveal quantum-mechanical effects emanating in the luminescence from thin monocrystalline gold flakes. Specifically, we present experimental evidence, supported by first-principles simulations, to demonstrate its photoluminescence origin when exciting in the interband regime. Our model allows us to identify changes to the measured gold luminescence due to quantum-mechanical effects as the gold film thickness is reduced. Excitingly, such effects are observable in the luminescence signal from flakes up to 40 nm in thickness, associated with the out-of-plane discreteness of the electronic band structure near the Fermi level. We qualitatively reproduce the observations with first-principles modelling, thus establishing a unified description of luminescence in gold and enabling its widespread application as a probe of carrier dynamics and light-matter interactions in this material. Our study paves the way for future explorations of hot-carriers and charge-transfer dynamics in a multitude of material systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Interfacial Hot Carrier Collection Controls Plasmonic Chemistry

Harnessing non-equilibrium hot carriers from plasmonic metal nanostructures constitutes a vibrant research field. It promises to enable control of activity and selectivity of photochemical reactions, especially for solar fuel generation. However, a comprehensive understanding of the interplay of plasmonic hot carrier-driven processes in metal/semiconducting heterostructures has remained elusive. In this work, we reveal the complex interdependence between plasmon excitation, hot carrier generation, transport and interfacial collection in plasmonic photocatalytic devices, uniquely determining the charge injection efficiencies at the solid/solid and solid/liquid interfaces. Interestingly, by measuring the internal quantum efficiency of ultrathin (14 to 33 nm) single-crystalline plasmonic gold (Au) nanoantenna arrays on titanium dioxide substrates, we find that the performance of the device is governed by hot hole collection at the metal/electrolyte interface. In particular, by combining a solid- and liquid-state experimental approach with ab initio simulations, we show a more efficient collection of high-energy d-band holes traveling in [111] orientation, resulting in a stronger oxidation reaction at the {111} surfaces of the nanoantenna. These results thus establish new guidelines for the design and optimization of plasmonic photocatalytic systems and optoelectronic devices.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2021

Thermally-reconfigurable metalens

Thanks to the compact design and multi-functional light-manipulation capabilities, reconfigurable metalenses, which consist of arrays of sub-wavelength meta-atoms, offer unique opportunities for advanced optical systems, from microscopy to augmented reality platforms. Although poorly explored in the context of reconfigurable metalens, thermo-optical effects in resonant silicon nanoresonators have recently emerged as a viable strategy to realize tunable meta-atoms. In this work, we report the proof-of-concept design of an ultrathin (300 nm thick) and thermo-optically reconfigurable silicon metalens operating at a fixed, visible wavelength (632 nm). Importantly, we demonstrate continuous, linear modulation of the focal-length up to 21% (from 165 $μ$m at 20$°$C to 135 $μ$m at 260$°$C). Operating under right-circularly polarized light, our metalens exhibits an average conversion efficiency of 26%, close to mechanically modulated devices, and has a diffraction-limited performance. Overall, we envision that, combined with machine-learning algorithms for further optimization of the meta-atoms, thermally-reconfigurable metalenses with improved performance will be possible. Also, the generality of this approach could offer inspiration for the realization of active metasurfaces with other emerging material within field of thermo-nanophotonics.

physics.optics↗