Y2O3–Lu2O3 co-doped molybdenum secondary emission material

A new kind of RE2O3–Mo cathodes co-doped with Y2O3 and Lu2O3 were prepared by a solid–liquid method combined with the spark plasma sintering technique. The secondary electron emission property and secondary emission mechanism of the cathode have been studied. The results show that Y2O3–Lu2O3 co-doped Mo cathode exhibits better secondary emission property than single Y2O3 doped molybdenum cathode, and the maximum secondary emission yield (δmax) can reach 4.616 after being activated at 900 °Cb. The Y2O3–Lu2O3 co-doped Mo cathode has high penetration depth of primary electrons and moderate escape depth of secondary electrons. Furthermore, the work function of Y2O3–Lu2O3–Mo cathode (2.41 eV) is lower than that of Y2O3–Mo cathode (3.59 eV). These phenomena are responsible for its excellent secondary emission property.