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Real-Space Dynamic Electron Correlation in Beryllium

Rudra B. Bista1, Yuya Shinohara2,*, Wojciech Dmowski3, Chae Woo Ryu3,†, Jung Ho Kim4, Mary Upton4, Hlynur Gretarsson5, Martin Sundermann5, and Takeshi Egami1,2,3,‡

  • *Contact author: shinoharay@ornl.gov
  • †Present address: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul 04066, South Korea.
  • ‡Contact author: egami@utk.edu
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 256402 – Published 26 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/vzrc-5m39

Abstract

Electron correlation in solids has a major impact on material properties. However, it has been studied mainly by theory, with very limited direct experimental investigations. Here, we demonstrate that dynamic electron correlation function can be experimentally measured using inelastic x-ray scattering on polycrystalline beryllium. The data are expressed as the energy-resolved dynamic pair-distribution function. Our results confirm the size of the exchange-correlation hole as ∼2  Å, consistent with theoretical expectations. However, at the plasmon energy of ∼21  eV, the exchange-correlation hole is extended up to 4–5 Å, suggesting a unique influence of the dynamic plasmon state.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 256402– Published 26 June, 2026
  • Received 2 December 2025
  • Revised 6 May 2026
  • Accepted 20 May 2026
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