Transverse properties of the electron beam emitted from a diamond nanotip.

Abstract

This paper reports the results of divergence studies for an electron beam emitted from a single diamond pyramid in a sparse diamond field emitter array (DFEA) cathode. At Los Alamos National Laboratory, we fabricate and study DFEAs. DFEA cathodes are arrays of micrometer scale diamond pyramids with nanometer scale tips. A single diamond pyramid produces currents as high as 10 μA within a small volume. DFEA cathodes are predicted to be a good beam source for compact dielectric laser accelerators. DFEAs are fabricated by a mold transfer process and produce electrons by the process of field emission when a high electric field is applied to the cathode. For the electron beam divergence experiment, we have designed and assembled a test stand consisting of a DFEA cathode, a mesh anode, and a screen. We measured current and the size of the beam on the screen as functions of the distance between the cathode and the anode, the size of a pyramid’s base, and applied voltage on the cathode. We also simulated the electron beam dynamics with Computer Simulation nano-tip: