Measurement of the Secondary Emission Yield of a Thin Diamond Window in Transmission Mode

The secondary emission enhanced photoinjector (SEEP) is a promising new approach to the generation of high-current, high-brightness electron beams. A low current primary electron beam with energy of a few thousand electron-volts strikes a specially prepared diamond window which emits secondary electrons with a current two orders of magnitude higher. The secondary electrons are created at the back side of the diamond and drift through the window under the influence of a strong electrical field. A hydrogen termination at the exit surface of the window creates a negative electron affinity (NEA) which allows the electrons to leave the diamond. An experiment was performed to measure the secondary electron yield and other properties. The results are discussed in this paper..