The physics of simple metal clusters: experimental aspects and simple models

TLDR

Simple metal clusters, especially alkali and noble metals, have attracted intense study as their valence‑electron dominated, delocalized electronic shells evolve from atomic to bulk behavior, and recent advances in production and probing techniques have greatly expanded experimental knowledge of their properties. This article reviews a broad range of experimental results and compares them with theoretical predictions. The review covers mass‑abundance spectra, polarizabilities, ionization potentials, photoelectron and optical spectra, and fragmentation phenomena.

Abstract

The study of simple metal clusters has burgeoned in the last decade, motivated by the growing interest in the evolution of physical properties from the atom to the bulk solid, a progression passing through the domain of atomic clusters. On the experimental side, the rapid development of new techniques for producing the clusters and for probing and detecting them has resulted in a phenomenal increase in our knowledge of these systems. For clusters of the simplest metals, the alkali and noble metals, the electronic structure is dominated by the number of valence electrons, and the ionic cores are of secondary importance. These electrons are delocalized, and the electronic system exhibits a shell structure that is closely related to the well-known nuclear shell structure. In this article the results from a broad range of experiments are reviewed and compared with theory. Included are the behavior of the mass-abundance spectra, polarizabilities, ionization potentials, photoelectron spectra, optical spectra, and fragmentation phenomena.