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Infrared-sensitive photocathode

Patent ·
OSTI ID:869818
 [1]
  1. Pleasant Hill, CA
+ Show Author Affiliations
A single-crystal, multi-layer device incorporating an IR absorbing layer that is compositionally different from the Ga.sub.x Al.sub.1-x Sb layer which acts as the electron emitter. Many different IR absorbing layers can be envisioned for use in this embodiment, limited only by the ability to grow quality material on a chosen substrate. A non-exclusive list of possible IR absorbing layers would include GaSb, InAs and InAs/Ga.sub.w In.sub.y Al.sub.1-y-w Sb superlattices. The absorption of the IR photon excites an electron into the conduction band of the IR absorber. An externally applied electric field then transports electrons from the conduction band of the absorber into the conduction band of the Ga.sub.x Al.sub.1-x Sb, from which they are ejected into vacuum. Because the band alignments of Ga.sub.x Al.sub.1-x Sb can be made the same as that of GaAs, emitting efficiencies comparable to GaAs photocathodes are obtainable. The present invention provides a photocathode that is responsive to wavelengths within the range of 0.9 .mu.m to at least 10 .mu.m.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
Assignee:
Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
Patent Number(s):
US 5404026
OSTI ID:
869818
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (6)

Double-heterojunction photocathode devices journal November 1975
Field Induced Photoemission and Hot‐Electron Emission from Germanium journal August 1960
Negative affinity 3–5 photocathodes: Their physics and technology journal February 1977
Field-assisted photoemission from an Inp/IngaAsp/Inp cathode journal November 1975
Transferred electron photoemission from InP journal December 1974
GaAs-Cs: A new type of photoemitter journal August 1965

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