New Materials Science Discovery Shakes Up Photoemission Understanding
Northeastern researchers have made a breakthrough discovery in materials science that challenges the current understanding of photoemission, the leading experimental approach used to probe the chemical and electronic properties of materials. The researchers observed the "unusual photoemission properties" of strontium titanate, a material historically overlooked as a potential photocathode candidate. They were able to produce a "very intense coherent secondary photoemission" stronger than anything seen before, which points to "underlying novel processes" yet understood. This discovery upends what scientists thought they knew about the photoemission process, opening the door for new applications across industries that would harness the power of these sophisticated quantum materials.