A study based on strontium titanate (SrTiO3) materials, led by a team of Chinese scientists, claims to rewrite the theory explaining the Nobel Prize-winning photoelectric effect of physicist Albert Einstein.
According to the South China Morning Post, Einstein’s theory was first described in a paper published in March 1905, explaining the photoelectric effect: When light shines on certain materials, electrons can be emitted from its surface.
This phenomenon has helped humanity understand the quantum nature of light and electrons.
SrTiO3 materials promise exciting applications – (Photo: He Ruihua).
A century has passed, and this theory has become the foundation for many modern technologies based on light detection or electron beam generation. High-energy electron beams have been widely used for crystal structure analysis, cancer treatment, bacterial extermination, and machine alloys.
However, most materials that convert photons into electrons, known as photocathodes, have a drawback: The electrons they produce are scattered in angle and speed.
By utilizing a new material, researcher He Ruihua from Westlake University (Hangzhou, Zhejiang – China) and collaborators from Japan and the United States have overcome this barrier and obtained concentrated electrons.
Specifically, SrTiO3, a novel quantum material with numerous interesting properties, has been stimulated to produce coherent electron beams.
“Coherence is crucial for the beam; it focuses the flow like a pipe on a faucet. Without a pipe, water would spray everywhere when the faucet is turned on. With the coherence we achieved, we can enhance the beam intensity while maintaining its direction,” co-author Hong Caiyun explained.
“This exceptional performance illustrates a new physical concept that extends beyond the well-established theoretical framework for photon conversion,” Dr. Hong added.
The foundational findings have been submitted to the scientific journal Nature, currently awaiting official peer review.
In the meantime, Professor He further stated: “We have provided an explanation as a supplement to Einstein’s original theoretical framework. It is included in another paper currently under review.”
This discovery opens new prospects for applications requiring high-intensity electron beams.
