Ultrafast photoemission electron microscopy: A multidimensional probe of nonequilibrium physics

Abstract

Exploring the realms of physics that extend beyond thermal equilibrium has emerged as a crucial branch of condensed matter physics research. It aims to unravel the intricate processes involving the excitations, interactions, and annihilations of quasi- and many-body particles, and ultimately to achieve the manipulation and engineering of exotic non-equilibrium quantum phases on the ultrasmall and ultrafast spatiotemporal scales. Given the inherent complexities arising from many-body dynamics, it therefore seeks for a technique that has efficient and diverse detection degrees of freedoms to study the underlying physics. By combining high-power femtosecond lasers with real- or momentum-space photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM), imaging excited state phenomena from multiple perspectives, including time, real space, energy, momentum, and spin, can be conveniently achieved, making it a unique technique in studying physics out of equilibrium. In this context, we overview the working principle and technical advances of the PEEM apparatus and the related laser systems, and survey key excited-state phenomena probed through this surface-sensitive methodology, including the ultrafast dynamics of electrons, excitons, plasmons, and spins etc., in materials ranging from bulk and nano-structured metals and semiconductors to low dimensional quantum materials. Through this review, one can further envision that time-resolved PEEM will open new avenues for investigating a variety of classical and quantum phenomena in a multidimensional parameter space, offering unprecedented and comprehensive insights to important questions in the field of condensed matter physics.