We calculate the lifetime of a surface plasmon on the surface of jellium metal from the process of the surface plasmon decaying into electron-hole pairs in the metal. We find that this process only occurs over a finite interval of wave vector, and at large values of wave vector. Our calculation contained two new features: (i) we used the Brillouin formula to normalize the electromagnetic field traveling along the surface and (ii) we included the spin rotation term in the electron current. The latter contribution has no effect at large wave vector of the surface plasmon.

• Received 20 November 2017
• Revised 15 January 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.97.075405