Quantum effects in the plasmons of atomically thin materials

Abstract
Plasmons in atomic-scale structures exhibit intrinsic quantum phenomena related to both the finite spatial confinement and the small number of electrons on which they are supported. Their interaction with two-level emitters is also evidencing strong quantum effects. In this talk we will discuss several salient features of plasmons in atomic-scale materials, such as graphene and atomic layers of noble metals, including their ability to mediate ultrafast heat transfer, the generation of high harmonics, their interaction with molecules and quantum emitters, and their extreme nonlinearity down to the single-photon level. We will further discuss several intriguing characteristics of the plasmonic response of atomically thin silver crystalline films, the plasmons of which have been recently revealed experimentally. We will conclude with a succinct description of quantum aspects emerging from the ultrafast plasmon-mediated interaction between femtosecond light and electron pulses.