Laser irradiation of metals is widely used in research and applications. In this work, we study how the material geometry affects electron-phonon coupling in nano-sized gold samples: an ultrathin layer, nano-rod, and two types of gold nanoparticles (cubic and octahedral). We use the combined tight-binding molecular dynamics Boltzmann collision integral method implemented within XTANT-3 code to evaluate the coupling parameter in irradiation targets at high electronic temperatures (up to Te~20,000 K). Our results show that the electron-phonon coupling in all objects with the same fcc atomic structure (bulk, layer, rod, cubic and octahedral nanoparticles) is nearly identical at electronic temperatures above Te~7000 K, independently of geometry and dimensionality. At low electronic temperatures, reducing dimensionality reduces the coupling parameter. Additionally, nano-objects under ultrafast energy deposition experience nonthermal damage due to expansion caused by electronic pressure, in contrast to bulk metal. Nano-object ultrafast expansion leads to the ablation/emission of atoms and disorders the inside of the remaining parts. These nonthermal atomic expansion and melting are significantly faster than electron-phonon coupling, forming a dominant effect in nano-sized gold.

Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography Science Park 106 1098 XG Amsterdam The Netherlands

Center for Free Electron Laser Science CFEL Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY 22607 Hamburg Germany

Institute of Physics Czech Academy of Sciences Na Slovance 1999 2 18221 Prague Czech Republic

Institute of Plasma Physics Czech Academy of Sciences Za Slovankou 3 18200 Prague Czech Republic

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Time-resolved probing of laser-induced nanostructuring processes in liquids

Application of Boltzmann kinetic equations to model X-ray-created warm dense matter and plasma

Effect of Atomic-Temperature Dependence of the Electron-Phonon Coupling in Two-Temperature Model

Electron-Phonon Coupling and Nonthermal Effects in Gold Nano-Objects at High Electronic Temperatures

Nonthermal phase transitions in metals