Photoemission from a laser-driven storage oxide cathode

For the purpose of a good electron source applied in the photo-injectors for free electron lasers (FELs), an investigation has been made on the photoemission from a type of storage oxide cathode, whose electric conductivity and mechanical strength have been improved appreciably compared to the traditional standard oxide-coated cathode. When driven by a pulsed picosecond YAG laser of wavelength 0.53 μm, the cathode exhibits a quantum yield of the order of 10−5. The reliability of the cathode is also studied. The interpretation on the photoemission is discussed based on the possibility of the existence of barium ultrafine particles embedded in BaO semiconductor.