State-of-the-art Pb photocathodes deposited by pulsed laser deposition

In this article we present and discuss the current status of thin film Pb photocathodes deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with different laser parameters, such as laser fluence, wavelength or pulse duration. The PLD technique appears very efficient for the fabrication of pure Pb photocathodes, providing good adherence and respectable quantum efficiency. The films deposited on the picosecond and subpicosecond regimes are practically free of big droplets and fragments, whereas in the nanosecond regime their presence cannot be neglected. All the films present a granular structure and polycrystalline character with preferential orientation along the (111) crystalline planes, irrespective of the laser pulse duration or wavelength. The main results obtained from the photoemission performance of Pb thin films deposited by PLD demonstrate their chemical stability under vacuum conditions and respectable quantum efficiency with a maximum of 7.3×10−5 for films deposited on the subpicosecond regime. The photoemission properties confirm that Pb thin films deposited by PLD are a notable alternative for the fabrication of photocathodes for superconductive radio-frequency electron guns.