Enhanced UV-assisted pulsed discharges via DC-bias-assisted photoemission from a foam Zn cathode

IF 3.8 2区物理与天体物理 Q2 PHYSICS, APPLIED

Applied Physics Letters Pub Date : 2026-10-05 DOI:10.1063/5.0350413

Liang Qin,Nan Jiang,Ju Li,Yongqiang Fu,Zunrong Sheng,Jie Li

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Seed-electron injection governs the inception and development of UV-assisted pulsed discharges, but it is generally limited by weak photoemission from conventional metal cathodes. In this Letter, a DC bias voltage and a foam Zn cathode are integrated into a UV-assisted pulsed discharge system to regulate pre-pulse photoelectron extraction and negative-charge transport. Photocurrent measurements show that the combined configuration produces a markedly higher photocurrent than either factor alone, indicating a synergistic enhancement of photoelectron extraction and negative-charge transport. This synergistic effect is further reflected in pulsed discharge enhancement, leading to an approximately 285.2% increase in discharge energy relative to the UV-irradiated flat Zn cathode without DC bias. Material characterizations and electric-field simulations suggest that the foam Zn framework has a larger specific surface area, higher UV absorptance, and a stronger local electric field near the cathode. When superimposed with the DC bias, the local electric-field enhancement induced by the foam structure is further strengthened, thereby promoting pre-pulse photoelectron extraction, pre-pulse negative-charge transport, and collection. Consequently, the discharge rapidly evolves from a localized discharge to a stable synchronous multichannel discharge.

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利用泡沫锌阴极的直流偏置辅助光发射增强紫外辅助脉冲放电

种子电子注入控制了紫外光辅助脉冲放电的开始和发展，但它通常受到传统金属阴极弱光电发射的限制。本文将直流偏置电压和泡沫锌阴极集成到紫外辅助脉冲放电系统中，以调节脉冲前光电子提取和负电荷输运。光电流测量表明，组合构型产生的光电流明显高于单独的任何一个因素，表明光电子提取和负电荷输运的协同增强。这种协同效应进一步体现在脉冲放电增强中，导致放电能量相对于无直流偏压的紫外线照射平面Zn阴极增加约285.2%。材料表征和电场模拟表明，泡沫锌骨架具有更大的比表面积、更高的紫外吸收率和阴极附近更强的局部电场。当与直流偏置叠加时，泡沫结构引起的局部电场增强进一步增强，从而促进脉冲前光电子的提取、脉冲前负电荷的输运和收集。因此，放电从局部放电迅速发展为稳定的同步多通道放电。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Applied Physics Letters 物理-物理：应用

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

10.00%

发文量

1821

审稿时长

1.6 months

期刊介绍： Applied Physics Letters (APL) features concise, up-to-date reports on significant new findings in applied physics. Emphasizing rapid dissemination of key data and new physical insights, APL offers prompt publication of new experimental and theoretical papers reporting applications of physics phenomena to all branches of science, engineering, and modern technology. In addition to regular articles, the journal also publishes invited Fast Track, Perspectives, and in-depth Editorials which report on cutting-edge areas in applied physics. APL Perspectives are forward-looking invited letters which highlight recent developments or discoveries. Emphasis is placed on very recent developments, potentially disruptive technologies, open questions and possible solutions. They also include a mini-roadmap detailing where the community should direct efforts in order for the phenomena to be viable for application and the challenges associated with meeting that performance threshold. Perspectives are characterized by personal viewpoints and opinions of recognized experts in the field. Fast Track articles are invited original research articles that report results that are particularly novel and important or provide a significant advancement in an emerging field. Because of the urgency and scientific importance of the work, the peer review process is accelerated. If, during the review process, it becomes apparent that the paper does not meet the Fast Track criterion, it is returned to a normal track.