ELECTRIC FIELD DEPENDENCE OF PHOTO-INDUCED FIELD EMISSION CURRENT
Abstract
We have measured the photo-induced field emission current from a tungsten field emitter as a function of electric field. These experiments were performed with a retardation energy analyzer to measure total current and a 127(DEGREES) cylindrical differential energy analyzer to measure the energy resolved PFE current. The results of these experiments are compared with a simple theory of PFE, developed by Schwartz and Schaich, which is an extension of field emission theory including the surface photoeffect, but assuming constant photoexcitation matrix elements. Our experimental results disagree with this theory in two ways: First, for high fields and photon energy (electrons emitted above the field emission barrier maximum) theory predicts a larger increase in PFE current than is observed experimentally. Second, we have also confirmed the existence of a field dependent oscillatory component of the PFE current emitted from the W(110) surface with photon energies of 2.7 eV and 3.5 eV. The simple theory described here, as well as more sophisticated calculations, have been unable to explain this oscillatory feature. We have also reported, for the first time, the field dependence of the energy resolved PFE current measured with a 127(DEGREES) cylindrical energy analyzer. These preliminary results show evidence of the oscillatory component previously only observed in the total PFE current.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Condensation
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