Image potential for a tunneling electron

Abstract

The image potential appropriate to an electron tunneling from a metal into the conduction band of an insulator is calculated with the many-body self-energy formalism developed by Manson and Ritchie [Phys. Rev. B 24, 4867 (1981)]. Analytical results are derived for a simple but complete basis set of eigenfunctions of the one-electron potential experienced by the electron in the noninteracting system. The dynamical corrections to the classical image potential are analyzed.