Non-equilibrium energy transport in nano-layer gold coating onto silica

The non-equilibrium energy transport in a metallic material with two layered structure having different material properties results in thermal separation of electrons and lattice sub-systems during a laser short-pulse irradiation. In this case, electron and lattice site temperature distributions become material properties and thickness of each layer dependent. In the present study, energy transport in a nanometer scale gold coating onto silica due to laser short-pulse irradiation is examined. The Seebeck coefficient in the gold coating is predicted and compared to the results obtained from the previous formulation. It is found that the maximum value of electron temperature in the gold coating increases with increasing coating thickness and lattice site temperature results in a peak in the silica in the region close to the coating silica interface. The Seebeck coefficient predicted agrees well with the results of the previous formulation.