Abstract

The geometrical confinement of the electronic wave function in metallic nanoparticles leads to peculiar thermodynamic, electronic, and optical properties compared to bulk materials.¹ These systems are currently the subject of active experimental investigations to clarify the role of processes such as electron-electron, electron-phonon, and electron-surface interactions in ultrafast electronic dynamics,^2,3 In particular, the study of nanoparticle size in affecting the electronic relaxation can shed light on the relative contribution of these processes to the optical properties.⁴

© 1997 Optical Society of America