Photocathodes at Negative Electron Affinity (NEA), like GaAs and GaN, allow for efficient production of spin-polarized electrons. When activated to NEA with cesium and an oxidant, they are characterized by an extreme sensitivity to chemical poisoning, resulting in a short operational lifetime. In this work, we demonstrate that deposition of a cesium iodide (CsI) layer can be used to enhance the dark lifetime of both GaN and GaAs photocathodes activated with cesium. The mechanism behind this improvement is investigated using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) techniques.

Photocathodes at Negative Electron Affinity (NEA), like GaAs and GaN, allow for efficient production of spin-polarized electrons. When activated to NEA with cesium and an oxidant, they are characterized by an extreme sensitivity to chemical poisoning, resulting in a short operational lifetime. In this work, we demonstrate that deposition of a cesium iodide (CsI) layer can be used to enhance the dark lifetime of both GaN and GaAs photocathodes activated with cesium. The mechanism behind this improvement is investigated using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) techniques.