X-ray Free Electron Laser Studies of Electron and Phonon Dynamics of Graphene Adsorbed on Copper

We report optical pumping and X-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments at the PAL free electron laser that directly probe the electron dynamics of a graphene monolayer adsorbed on copper in the femtosecond regime. By analyzing the results with ab-initio theory we infer that the excitation of graphene is dominated by indirect excitation from hot electron-hole pairs created in the copper by the optical laser pulse. However, once the excitation is created in graphene, its decay follows a similar path as in many previous studies of graphene adsorbed on semiconductors, i e. rapid excitation of SCOPS (Strongly Coupled Optical Phonons) and eventual thermalization. It is likely that the lifetime of the hot electron-hole pairs in copper governs the lifetime of the electronic excitation of the graphene.