Author: Fell, B.D.
Paper Title Page
THPC129 Gallium Arsenide Photocathode Research at Daresbury Laboratory 3185
 
  • L.B. Jones, B.D. Fell, J.W. McKenzie, K.J. Middleman, B.L. Militsyn
    STFC/DL/ASTeC, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom
  • R.J. Cash
    STFC/DL, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom
  • N. Chanlek
    UMAN, Manchester, United Kingdom
 
  Significant effort has been expended over several years by ASTeC to optimise procedures for preparing GaAs photocathodes for use as high-current electron sources in accelerators. Having established robust chemical and thermal cleaning processes, and carried out lifetime studies on activated photocathodes by deliberately poisoning them*, we present data showing high levels of Quantum Efficiency (QE) for heterostructure photocathodes when activated with Cs-O and Cs-NF3 procedures. We will show that the use of NF3 delivers higher QE, and conveys greater control in that the final QE level can be set more accurately using NF3 than with O. We plan to carry out further experiments on GaAs photocathodes to measure the 2-D energy distribution of the emitted electrons at both room and cryogenic temperatures. We are constructing a retarding-field electron calorimeter which will measure current as a function of retarding voltage. From this, we will establish the 2-D energy distribution in the electron beam, permitting a comparison of these figures for photocathodes at room and low temperatures. The goal is to create an ultra-bright electron source for use with particle accelerators.
* Proc IPAC ’10, TUPEC018, 1752-1754
 
 
THPC130 A 160 keV Photocathode Electron Gun Test Tacility 3188
 
  • L.B. Jones, B.D. Fell, C. Hill, J.W. McKenzie, K.J. Middleman, B.L. Militsyn
    STFC/DL/ASTeC, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom
  • R.J. Cash
    STFC/DL, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom
 
  The ALICE ERL* at Daresbury Laboratory is a prototype 4th generation free-electron laser light source operating at IR wavelengths. An upgrade to the DC photoinjector gun has been designed and partially-constructed, but due to installation postponement, the system will be used for photocathode physics experiments. The re-designed gun will operate at 160 keV. The gun and photocathode preparation facility (PPF) will be assembled with a diagnostic beamline, supporting research towards high-brightness electron beams based on GaAs technology. Combining an external PPF with a load-lock facility allows the rapid exchange of photocathodes, thus permitting the testing of various different photocathode heterostructures, and fine control of the cleaning and activation processes applied during preparation. The diagnostics beamline will include a transverse kicker to study bunch length, and a dipole magnet for beam energy and energy spread measurements. Various horizontal and vertical slit and screen assemblies allow for emittance measurement, so providing full 6-D characterisation of the electron bunches generated. A current transformer and Faraday cups support bunch charge measurements.
* Accelerators and Lasers In Combined Experiments electron Energy-Recovery Linac