Plasmon excitation in beryllium: inelastic x-ray scattering experiments and first-principles calculations

An experimental and theoretical study of collective electronic excitations in Be is presented. The plasmon energy and linewidth were measured by means of inelastic x-ray scattering spectroscopy. Measurements were performed on a polycrystalline sample and in a broad range of momentum transfers within the plasmon excitation regime. Theoretical plasmon dispersion and its linewidth in the whole Brillouin zone were derived from ab initio evaluations of the electron density response function. The calculations were performed with full inclusion of the electron band structure within the random-phase approximation. Good agreement of experimental plasmon energy and linewidth dispersions with direction-averaged theoretical results in all investigated q-range is obtained. We conclude that, in Be, the band structure effects alone can account for the observed finite plasmon lifetime at q = 0, as well as for the linewidth dispersion in the long-wavelength domain.