Mode conversion of Mie plasmons at the surface of metallic atomic clusters

The dynamics of the Mie plasmon is described in the framework of the self-consistent quantum Vlasov theory by a reduced single-state model. The single-state model is validated by many-electron calculations for Na clusters. In this framework, collisionless damping of the Mie plasmon can be investigated for a wide range of cluster parameters by linear perturbation theory. The characteristic scaling of the damping rate with the inverse cluster radius is demonstrated. The basic damping mechanism of the Mie plasmon can be explained by a conversion of surface modes into volume modes due to the scattering by the self-consistent potential of the electron-electron interaction at the cluster boundary.