Junqi Xie

Direct observation of bi-alkali antimonide photocathodes growth via in operando x-ray diffraction studies

Alkali antimonides have a long history as visible-light-sensitive photocathodes. This work focuses on the process of fabrication of the bi-alkali photocathodes, K2CsSb. In-situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction and photoresponse measurements were used to monitor phase evolution during sequential photocathode growth mode on Si(100) substrates. The amorphous-to-crystalline transition for the initial antimony layer was observed at a film thickness of 40 A . The antimony crystalline structure dissolved upon potassium deposition, eventually recrystallizing upon further deposition into K-Sb crystalline modifications. This transition, as well as the conversion of potassium antimonide to K2CsSb upon cesium deposition, is correlated with changes in the quantum efficiency.

Bi-alkali antimonide photocathode growth: An X-ray diffraction study

Bi-alkali antimonide photocathodes are one of the best known sources of electrons for high current and/or high bunch charge applications like Energy Recovery Linacs or Free Electron Lasers. Despite their high quantum efficiency in visible light and low intrinsic emittance, the surface roughness of these photocathodes prohibits their use as low emittance cathodes in high accelerating gradient superconducting and normal conducting radio frequency photoguns and limits the minimum possible intrinsic emittance near the threshold. Also, the growth process for these materials is largely based on recipes obtained by trial and error and is very unreliable. In this paper, using X-ray diffraction, we investigate the different structural and chemical changes that take place during the growth process of the bi-alkali antimonide material K2CsSb. Our measurements give us a deeper understanding of the growth process of alkali-antimonide photocathodes allowing us to optimize it with the goal of minimizing the surface roughness to preserve the intrinsic emittance at high electric fields and increasing its reproducibility.

Enhanced UV light detection using wavelength-shifting properties of Silicon nanoparticles

Detection of UV photons is becoming increasingly necessary with the use of noble gases and liquids in elementary particle experiments. Cerenkov light in crystals and glasses, scintillation light in neutrino, dark matter, and rare decay experiments all require sensitivity to UV photons. New sensor materials are needed that can directly detect UV photons and/or absorb UV photons and re-emit light in the visible range measurable by existing photosensors. It has been shown that silicon nanoparticles are sensitive to UV light in a wavelength range around ~200 nm. UV light is absorbed and re-emitted at wavelengths in the visible range depending on the size of the nanoparticles. Initial tests of the wavelength-shifting properties of silicon nanoparticles are presented here that indicate by placing a film of nanoparticles in front of a standard visible-wavelength detecting photosensor, the response of the sensor is significantly enhanced at wavelengths < 320 nm.

Real time evolution of antimony deposition for high performance alkali photocathode development

The development of X-ray techniques opens new opportunities for real-time in-situ study of photocathode growth process in details. The initial ultra thin Sb films during photocathode process were investigated on multiple substrates based on different applications. The real-time X-ray scattering and post-growth X-ray reflectivity and diffraction measurement were performed and analyzed. Experiment results indicate that Sb deposition performs a phase change from amorphous to crystalline, the critical thicknesses are different on B33 float glass, Si and Mo. Two methods were applied for film thickness calculation from X-ray scattering data, and they agree well with thickness monitor result. Sb films deposited on different substrates show similar final film roughnesses. The real time x-ray study indicates that the initial Sb layer deposition process on different substrate has different structure during deposition, the optimized thickness of the initial Sb layer may varies depends on the substrate. This study also paved the road for further study of the more complex alkali metal vapor diffusion process in photocathode growth.

Design Improvement and Bias Voltage Optimization of Glass-Body Microchannel Plate Picosecond Photodetector

Microchannel plate photodetectors, capable of picosecond time resolution and sub-mm spatial resolution, are a perfect candidate for the next generation of photodetectors for precision timing measurements. Argonne National Laboratory is producing low-cost, all-glass body, planar photodetectors with an indium seal. The design and fabrication of 6-cm square photodetectors has been well demonstrated in an ultra-high vacuum system. Recently, a new design was developed to optimize the photodetector bias voltage. This design offers an improved configuration and allows external control of the bias voltage for each internal detector component. Design and measurements of the new independently biased devices are described in this paper. We performed a systematic study on the bias voltage and achieved a gain on the order of

MCP-based photodetectors for cryogenic applications

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Study of bi-alkali photocathode growth on glass by X-ray techniques for fast timing response photomultipliers

, a time resolution better than 35 ps, and a spatial resolution better than 1 mm.

In-situ synchrotron x-ray characterization of K2CsSb photocathode grown by ternary co-evaporation

The Argonne MCP-based photo detector is an offshoot of the Large Area Pico-second Photo Detector (LAPPD) project, wherein 6 cm x 6 cm sized detectors are made at Argonne National Laboratory. We have successfully built and tested our first detectors for pico-second timing and few mm spatial resolution. We discuss our efforts to customize these detectors to operate in a cryogenic environment. Initial plans aim to operate in liquid argon. We are also exploring ways to mitigate wave length shifting requirements and also developing bare-MCP photodetectors to operate in a gaseous cryogenic environment.

Recent progress in the development of 6 cm × 6 cm micro-channel plate based photodetectors at Argonne National Laboratory

Bi-alkali antimonide photocathode is an essential component in fast timing response photomultipliers. Real-time in-situ grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and post-growth x-ray reflectivity measurement were performed to study the photocathode deposition process on glass substrate. Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction patterns show the formation of Sb crystalline, dissolution of crystalline phase Sb by the application of K vapor and reformation of refined crystal textures. XRR result exhibits that the film thickness increases ~ 4.5 times after K diffusion and almost have no change after Cs diffusion. Further investigation is expected to understand the photocathode growth process and provide guidelines for photocathode development.

Imaging of large-area microchannel plates using phosphor screens

K2CsSb is a promising photocathode candidate to serve as an electron source in next-generation light sources such as Free Electron Lasers (FEL) and Energy Recovery Linacs (ERL). As the traditional recipe for creation of K2CsSb photocathodes typically results in a rough surface that deteriorates electron beam quality, significant effort has been made to explore novel growth methods for K2CsSb photocathodes. In this paper, a method of ternary co-evaporation of K, Cs, and Sb is described. By using in-situ synchrotron X-ray techniques, the quality of the photocathode is characterized during and after the growth. K2CsSb photocathodes grown by this method on Si (100) and MgO (001) substrates show strong (222) texture, and the two photocathodes exhibit 1.7% and 3.4% quantum efficiencies at a wavelength of 530 nm, with a rms surface roughness of about 2–4 nm. This represents an order of magnitude reduction in roughness compared to typical sequential deposition and should result in a significant improvement in the...