Photocathodes for RF photoinjectors

Over the past ten years photocathodes have been extensively used as high-brightness electron sources in RF guns. In this paper, I present a general review of the alkali-based high quantum efficiency (QE) photoemitters (e.g. Cs ₃Sb, K ₂CsSb and Cs ₂Te), together with a comparative analysis of the different preparation procedures and the results obtained, both in the preparation chambers and in RF guns. The need to increase the photocathode reliability has provided the impetus to get an R&D activity to go over the alchemy of photocathode preparation procedure. In this paper, I will discuss the results so far obtained in different laboratories, both by using traditional investigation strategy (e.g. QE and RF behavior) and by means of surface science techniques as Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Alkali antimonides have been used at first in the RF gun due to the high QE response to the green light of the Nd:YLF second-harmonic radiation. Measurements have confirmed the high reactivity of the alkali antimonide photocathodes to the residual gases: this fact makes their use in RF guns not practical, mainly for short lifetimes. Further investigations have shown that the choice of the substratum preparation procedure and chemical composition plays a fundamental role in the photocathode performance, both from the point of view of the QE and the operative lifetime and ruggedness to gas exposition. Cesium telluride (Cs ₂Te) prepared on a molybdenum substratum seems to be, nowadays, the best compromise, in terms of preparation procedure reliability and ruggedness, that now the characteristics and drawbacks of this material are well understood (e.g. the need of an UV laser source). Future possible developments will be discussed. In particular, the measurement and the control of the thermal emittance and the time response could be an important task.