Synthesis, surface chemical analysis, lifetime studies and degradation mechanisms of Cs-K-Sb photocathodes

We report synthesis and characterization of a batch of three cesium potassium antimonide photocathodes that have been grown on pure copper substrates via a ternary co-deposition method whose procedure is described herein. A deposition system that was designed for synthesis of two-element photocathodes has been utilized for synthesis of the aforementioned three-element photocathodes with slope of the in situ photocurrent as the driver for the growth process. A variation of substrate temperature and deposition parameters among the three photocathodes during synthesis has yielded a maximum quantum efficiency of 6% for 140 °C substrate temperature. Lifetime studies performed in a 65-kV DC electron gun on two of the photocathodes, but under oxidized states, at tens of A average currents (ampere-level peak currents) extracted utilizing a 532-nm wavelength, 1-kHz repetition rate laser, have resulted in charge-lifetimes of 6.13 C and 13.78 C, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the photocathode with the highest quantum efficiency has revealed a nearly impurity-free surface with stoichiometry Cs$_{1.3}$K$_{1.8}$Sb$_{1.0}$ when pristine. Furthermore, it has been found that oxidation of the alkali surface atoms as well as carbon adsorption from hydrocarbons and minor fluorine uptake are the causes of quantum efficiency reduction during laser illumination in the utilized experimental set-up.