PNNL

Abstract

Degradation of the photocathode materials employed in photoinjectors represents a challenge for sustained operation of nuclear physics accelerators and high power Free Electron Lasers (FEL). Several photocathode degradation processes are suspected, including defect formation by ion back bombardment, photochemistry of surface adsorbed species and irradiation-induced surface defect formation. To better understand the mechanisms of photocathode degradation, we have conducted surface and bulk analysis studies of two GaAs photocathodes removed from the FEL photoinjector after delivering electron beam for a few years. The analysis techniques include Helium Ion Microscopy (HIM), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). In addition, strained super-lattice GaAs photocathode samples, removed from the CEBAF photoinjector were analyzed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and SIMS. This analysis of photocathode degradation during nominal photoinjector operating conditions represents first steps towards developing robust new photocathode designs necessary for generating sub-micron emittance electron beams required for both fourth generation light sources and intense polarized CW electron beams for nuclear and high energy physics facilities.