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Description
Semiconductors like Cs₂Te are increasingly being explored as electron emitters in radio-frequency (RF) photoinjectors for high-power accelerators and scientific instruments, including time-resolved electron microscopes and free-electron lasers. Their advantages, such as low intrinsic emittance and high quantum efficiency, make them promising candidates for these applications. However, a major challenge in achieving higher gradients in photoinjectors is the risk of breakdown, which can lead to catastrophic device failure. Despite the importance of understanding the material behavior of materials like Cs₂Te under such extreme conditions, research on semiconductor physics in accelerator applications remains limited.
In this work, we develop a self-consistent model of a Cs₂Te thin film subjected to intense surface fields exceeding 300 MV/m. Using a drift-diffusion approach, we capture the evolution of charge density due to electron and hole transport within the material. As the applied field increases, electrons are emitted from the thin-film surface, generating heat through localized Joule heating and the Nottingham effect. Our findings indicate that the combined effects of electric field and induced heating can drive the formation of breakdown precursors, which may ultimately lead to catastrophic failure.
| Please choose topic that matches most closely your research | Modeling and simulations |
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