IPAC'25 - the 16th International Particle Accelerator Conference

Surface cleaning and chemical process analysis of high quantum efficiency magnisum photocathode

TUPM043

3 Jun 2025, 16:00

2h

Exhibiton Hall A _Magpie (TWTC)

Poster Presentation MC3.T02 Electron Sources Tuesday Poster Session

Speaker

Rong Xiang (Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf)

Description

Magnesium (Mg) has been demonstrated to be a safe, stable, and reliable photocathode for both normal-conducting and superconducting RF guns.
Pure magnesium, with its low work function of 3.6 eV, exhibits significant quantum efficiency (QE) improvement — by up to two orders of magnitude — following appropriate surface cleaning procedures. This study investigates the chemical processes occurring on the material's surface in its as-received state and after thermal and plasma cleaning. These findings provide critical insights into the mechanisms underlying QE enhancement on this metallic photocathode.