Laser-initiated electron and heat transport in gold-skutterudite CoSb${}_3$ bilayers resolved by pulsed x-ray scattering

Abstract

Electron and lattice heat transport have been investigated in bilayer thin films of gold and CoSb${}_3$ after photo-excitation of the nanometric top gold layer through picosecond x-ray scattering in a pump-probe setup. The unconventional observation of a larger portion of the deposited heat being detected first in the underlying CoSb${}_3$ layer supports the picture of ballistic transport of the photo-excited electrons from gold to the underlying layer. The lattice expansion recorded by x-ray scattering allows accounting for the energy deposition and heat transport.