Emission Properties of a Hybrid Metallized Diamond(001) Photocathode

Abstract

The spectral emission characteristics of a proof-of-concept hybrid metallized diamond(001) photocathode are presented. The quantum efficiency (QE) is shown to be determined by the photo-injection efficiency across the ohmic contact at the back metallized face, whereas the mean transverse energy (MTE) of the photoemitted electrons is consistent with a (optical)phonon-assisted and momentum-resonant Franck-Condon mechanism [Phys. Rev. Applied 23, 054065 (2025)] following electron drift transport to the untreated diamond(001) front emission face. Emission is observed from both the lower and upper conduction bands of diamond with positive and negative electron affinity respectively. A potential route to the realization of a red-visible photocathode based on this concept with a sub-50meV MTE and a QE greater than 0.1% is discussed.