Electron stopping power of protons in aluminum at finite electron temperature

We conducted a study on the electron stopping power of protons in aluminum at finite electron temperatures, utilizing time-dependent density functional theory nonadiabatically coupled with molecular dynamics. Our investigation focused on protons with initial velocities ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 a.u., providing a wealth of detailed information on the electronic states involved in the stopping process, with exceptional spatial and temporal resolution. Our results show that the electron temperature can significantly effect the electron stopping power. A quantum-blocking mechanism based on a physical picture of electronic transitions in energy levels has been proposed for explaining the phenomenon of electron stopping power decreasing with the increase of target electron temperature.