Abnormal transition of the electron energy distribution with excitation of the second harmonic in low-pressure radio-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas

The self-excited second harmonic in radio-frequency capacitively coupled plasma was significantly enhanced by adjusting the external variable capacitor.At a lower pressure of 3 Pa,the excitation of the second harmonic caused an abnormal transition of the electron energy probability function,resulting in abrupt changes in the electron density and temperature.Such changes in the electron energy probability function as well as the electron density and temperature were not observed at the higher pressure of 16 Pa under similar harmonic changes.The phenomena are related to the influence of the second harmonic on stochastic heating,which is determined by both amplitude and the relative phase of the harmonics.The results suggest that the self-excited high-order harmonics must be considered in practical applications of lowpressure radio-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas.

Effect of parallel resonance on the electron energy distribution function in a 60 MHz capacitively coupled plasma

In general,as the radio frequency(RF)power increases in a capacitively coupled plasma(CCP),the power transfer efficiency decreases because the resistance of the CCP decreases.In this work,a parallel resonance circuit is applied to improve the power transfer efficiency at high RF power,and the effect of the parallel resonance on the electron energy distribution function(EEDF)is investigated in a 60 MHz CCP.The CCP consists of a power feed line,the electrodes,and plasma.The reactance of the CCP is positive at 60 MHz and acts like an inductive load.A vacuum variable capacitor(VVC)is connected in parallel with the inductive load,and then the parallel resonance between the VVC and the inductive load can be achieved.As the capacitance of the VVC approaches the parallel resonance condition,the equivalent resistance of the parallel circuit is considerably larger than that without the VVC,and the current flowing through the matching network is greatly reduced.Therefore,the power transfer efficiency of the discharge is improved from 76%,70%,and 68%to 81%,77%,and 76%at RF powers of 100 W,150 W,and 200 W,respectively.At parallel resonance conditions,the electron heating in bulk plasma is enhanced,which cannot be achieved without the VVC even at the higher RF powers.This enhancement of electron heating results in the evolution of the shape of the EEDF from a biMaxwellian distribution to a distribution with the smaller temperature difference between high-energy electrons and low-energy electrons.Due to the parallel resonance effect,the electron density increases by approximately 4%,18%,and 21%at RF powers of 100 W,150 W,and 200 W,respectively.

Simulation of the spatio-temporal evolution of the electron energy distribution function in a pulsed hollow-cathode discharge

This article presents the 2D simulation results of a nanosecond pulsed hollow cathode discharge obtained through a combination of fluid and kinetic models.The spatio-temporal evolution of the electron energy distribution function(EEDF)of the plasma column and electrical characteristics of the nanosecond pulsed hollow cathode discharge at a gas pressure of 5 Torr are studied.The results show that the discharge development starts with the formation of an ionization front at the anode surface.The ionization front splits into two parts in the cathode cavity while propagating along its lateral surfaces.The ionization front formation leads to an increase in the fast isotropic EEDF component at its front,as well as in the anisotropic EEDF component.The accelerated electrons enter the cathode cavity,which significantly contributes to the formation of the highenergy EEDF component and EEDF anisotropy.

Effect of Surface Potential Barrier on the Electron Energy Distribution of NEA Photocathodes

By calculating the energy distribution of electrons reaching the photocathode surface and solving the Schrodinger equation that describes the behavior of an electron tunneling through the surface potential barrier,we obtain an equation to calculate the emitted electron energy distribution of transmission-mode NEA GaAs photocathodes. Accord- ing to the equation,we study the effect of cathode surface potential barrier on the electron energy distribution and find a significant effect of the barrier-Ⅰ thickness or end height,especially the thickness,on the quantum efficiency of the cath- ode. Barrier Ⅱ has an effect on the electron energy spread, and an increase in the vacuum level will lead to a narrower electron energy spread while sacrificing a certain amount of cathode quantum efficiency. The equation is also used to fit the measured electron energy distribution curve of the transmission-mode cathode and the parameters of the surface barri- er are obtained from the fitting. The theoretical curve is in good agreement with the experimental curve.

A double toroidal analyzer for scanning probe electron energy spectrometer

An ultra-high vacuum （UHV） compatible electron spectrometer employing a double toroidal analyzer has been de- veloped. It is designed to be combined with a custom-made scanning tunneling microscope （STM） to study the spatially localized electron energy spectrum on a surface. A tip-sample system composed of a piezo-driven field-emission tungsten tip and a sample of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite （HOPG） is employed to test the performance of the spectrometer. Two-dimensional images of the energy-resolved and angle-dispersed electrons backscattered from the surface of HOPG are obtained, the performance is optimized and the spectrometer is calibrated. A complete electron energy loss spectrum covering the elastic peak to the secondary electron peaks for the HOPG surface, acquired at a tip voltage of -140 V and a sample current of 0.5 pA, is presented, demonstrating the viability of the spectrometer.

Diagnosing the Fine Structure of Electron Energy Within the ECRIT Ion Source

The ion source of the electron cyclotron resonance ion thruster （ECRIT） extracts ions from its ECR plasma to generate thrust, and has the property of low gas consumption （2 seem, standard-state cubic centimeter per minute） and high durability. Due to the indispensable effects of the primary electron in gas discharge, it is important to experimentally clarify the electron energy structure within the ion source of the ECRIT through analyzing the electron energy distribution function （EEDF） of the plasma inside the thruster. In this article the Langmuir probe diagnosing method was used to diagnose the EEDF, from which the effective electron temperature, plasma density and the electron energy probability function （EEPF） were deduced. The experimental results show that the magnetic field influences the curves of EEDF and EEPF and make the effective plasma parameter nonuniform. The diagnosed electron temperature and density from sample points increased from 4 eV/2 ×10^16 m-3 to 10 eV/4×10^16 m-3 with increasing distances from both the axis and the screen grid of the ion source. Electron temperature and density peaking near the wall coincided with the discharge process. However, a double Maxwellian electron distribution was unexpectedly observed at the position near the axis of the ion source and about 30 mm from the screen grid. Besides, the double Maxwellian electron distribution was more likely to emerge at high power and a low gas flow rate. These phenomena were believed to relate to the arrangements of the gas inlets and the magnetic field where the double Maxwellian electron distribution exits. The results of this research may enhance the understanding of the plasma generation process in the ion source of this type and help to improve its performance.

Measurement of Secondary Electron Energy Spectra of Polymethyl Methacrylate

We report on a novel and convenient method of measuring secondary electron spectra for insulators in a secondary electron yield measurement system with a planar grid analyzer configuration and a metal mesh probe. In this measurement, the planar grid is negatively biased to force some emitted secondary electrons to return to the sample surface and to neutralize charges accumulated on the sample during the previous beam irradiation. The surface potential of the sample is then measured by use of a metal mesh probe. The grid bias for neutralization corresponding to the zero surface potential is determined based on the linear relationship between the surface potential and the grid bias. Once the surface potential equals zero, the secondary electron spectra of polymethyl methacrylate（PMMA） are studied experimentally by measuring the -curve and then fitting it to Everhart＇s formula. The measurement results show that the peak energy and the full width at half maximum of the spectra are 4.26 eV and 14.06 eV, respectively.

Direct Measurements of the Electron Energy Flux versus Electron Temperature Gradient in Tokamak Discharges

Electron thermal transport is one of the most complex processes in fusionplasmas. It is generally described by a simple thermal diffusivity in transport analyses ofdischarges, but there is evidence of critical gradient effects with moderate stiffness. By analyzingperiodic perturbations to an equilibrium, one canmeasure the variations in electron energy flux andelectron temperature gradient over the perturbation cycle, obtaining the flux as a function ofgradient over the range of parameters generated by the perturbation. Although time-dependenttransport analysis is very sensitive to noise in the input data, averaging over many cycles of aperiodic perturbation can provide data of sufficient quality. The analyses presented here are basedon the ECE temperature data with high spatial and temporal resolution and full profile coverage onDIII-D for sawteeth and modulated ECH heating.

Analysis of electron energy distribution function in a magnetically filtered complex plasma

The electron energy distribution function （EEDF） for a magnetically filtered dusty plasma is studied in a dusty double plasma device where the electron energy can be varied from 0.15 eV to ～ 2.8 eV and plasma density from 10 6 cm-3 to 10 9cm-3 . The characteristics of EEDF for these ranges of plasma parameters are investigated in a pristine plasma as well as in a dusty plasma. The results show that in the presence of dust, there is a drastic modification in EEDF patterns in a plasma with higher electron temperature and density than those in a low temperature and low density plasma produced by the magnetic filter.

Electron Energy Spectroscopic Mapping of Surface Plasmon by Parallel Scanning Method

In this work,electron energy spectroscopic mapping of surface plasmon of Ag nanostructures on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite is reported.Benefitting from the angular dispersive feature of the present scanning probe electron energy spectrometer,a multi-channel detection mode is developed.By scanning along one direction,the two-dimensional intensity distribution of Ag surface plasmon excitation due to the collision of electron emitted from the tip can be obtained in parallel.The spectroscopic spatial resolution is determined to be around 80 nm.

Simulations of electron energy distribution of Pd-like Xe system based on OFI

X-ray laser based on OFI is a promising way to realize the table-top X-ray laser.A simple model to describe the electron energy distribution in plasma produced by circularly polarized optical-field-induced ionization is constructed on the basis of ADK tunneling ionization theory.The ionization rate,threshold intensity,residual energy and electron energy distribution of Pd-like Xe system based on optical-field-induced ionization are calculated.The results are useful to further experments on X-ray laser of Pa-like Xe system.

Modulation mechanism of electron energy dissipation on superlubricity based on fluorinated 2D ZIFs

Electron energy dissipation is an important energy dissipation pathway that cannot be ignored in friction process.Two-dimensional zeolite imidazole frameworks(2D ZIFs)and fluorine doping strategies give 2D Zn-ZIF and 2D Co-ZIF unique electrical properties,making them ideal materials for studying electron energy dissipation mechanism.In this paper,based on the superlubricity modulation of 2D fluoridated ZIFs,the optimal tribological properties are obtained on the 2D F-Co-ZIF surface,with the friction coefficient as low as 0.0010.Electrical experiments,density functional theory(DFT)simulation,and fluorescence detection are used to explain the mechanism of fluorine doping regulation of tribological properties from the two stages,namely energy transfer and energy release.Specifically,the energy will transfer into the friction system through the generation of electron–hole pairs under an external excitation,and release by radiation and non-radiation energy dissipation channels.Fluorination reduces energy transfer by altering the electronic properties and band structures of ZIFs,and slows down the charge transfer by enhancing the shielding efficiency,thus slowing the non-radiative energy dissipation rate during the energy release stage.Our insights not only help us better understand the role of fluorine doping in improving tribological properties,but also provide a new way to further explore the electron energy dissipation pathway during friction.

Steering the energy sharing of electrons in nonsequential double ionization with orthogonally polarized two-color field

Using the semiclassical ensemble model,the dependence of relative amplitude for the recollision dynamics in nonsequential double ionization(NSDI)of neon atom driven by the orthogonally polarized two-color field(OTC)laser field is theoretically studied.And the dynamics in two typical collision pathways,recollision-impact-ionization(RII)and recollisionexcitation with subsequent ionization(RESI),is systematically explored.Our results reveal that the V-shaped structure in the correlated momentum distribution is mainly caused by the RII mechanism when the relative amplitude of the OTC laser field is zero,and the first ionized electrons will quickly skim through the nucleus and share few energy with the second electron.As the relative amplitude increases,the V-shaped structure gradually disappears and electrons are concentrated on the diagonal in the electron correlation spectrum,indicating that the energy sharing after electrons collision is symmetric for OTC laser fields with large relative amplitudes.Our studies show that changing the relative amplitude of the OTC laser field can efficiently control the electron–electron collisions and energy exchange efficiency in the NSDI process.

The Strange Relationship between the Momentum of a Photon Emitted from an Electron and the Momentum Acquired by the Electron

In quantum mechanics, the energy of a hydrogen atom is minimized when the principal quantum number n is 1. However, the author has previously pointed out that the hydrogen atom has a state where n=0. An electron in the state where n=0has zero rest mass energy. However, a hydrogen atom has an energy level even lower than the n=0state. This is hard to accept from the standpoint of common sense. Thus, the author has previously pointed out that an electron at the energy level where n=0has zero energy because the positive energy mec2and negative energy −mec2cancel each other out. This paper elucidates the strange relationship between the momentum of a photon emitted when a hydrogen atom is formed by an electron with such characteristics, and the momentum acquired by the electron.

An improved secondary electrons energy spectrum model and its application in multipactor discharge

Secondary electron emission(SEE)of metal and dielectric materials plays a key role in multipactor discharge,which is a bottle neck problem for high-power satelliate components.Measurements of both the secondary electron yield(SEY)and the secondary electron energy spectrum(SES)are performed on metal samples for an accurate description of the real SEE phenomenon.In order to simplify the fitting process and improve the simulation efficiency,an improved model is proposed for the description of secondary electrons(SE)emitted from the material surface,including true,elastic,and inelastic SE.Embedding the novel SES model into the electromagnetic particle-in-cell method,the electronic resonant multipactor in microwave components is simulated successfully and hence the discharge threshold is predicted.Simulation results of the SES variation in the improved model demonstrate that the multipactor threshold is strongly dependent on SES.In addition,the mutipactor simulation results agree quite well with the experiment for the practical microwave component,while the numerical model of SEY and SES fits well with the sample data taken from the microwave component.

Electron energy states in a two-dimensional GaAs quantum ring with hydrogenic donor impurity in the presence of magnetic field

Using the finite element method, we investigate the lowest and first few excited state energies in a two- dimensional GaAs quantum ring （QR） with a hydrogenic donor impurity and effective mass approximation under a uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the ring plane. We study in detail the dependence of the energy spectrum with different angular momentum on the inner radius, the outer radius and width of the QR, the magnetic field and impurity position. The results reveal that the electron energies increase with the inner radius while decrease with the outer radius and width of the QR; for a fixed ring, the magnetic field induces the increase of the electron energies. Moreover, the existence of impurity reduces energy levels, and the energy levels depend highly on the impurity position, which decreases as the impurity is far away from the center of the QR. Also, the dependence of the angular momentum on the energy spectrum is analyzed in detail.

A New Insight into Energy Distribution of Electrons in Fuel-Rod Gap in VVER-1000 Nuclear Reactor

In order to calculate the electron energy distribution in the fuel rod gap of a VVER- 1000 nuclear reactor, the Fokker-Planck equation （FPE） governing the non-equilibrium behavior of electrons passing through the fuel-rod gap as an absorber has been solved in this paper. Besides, the Monte Carlo Geant4 code was employed to simulate the electron migration in the fuel-rod gap and the energy distribution of electrons was found. As for the results, the accuracy of the FPE was compared to the Geant4 code outcomes and a satisfactory agreement was found. Also, different percentage of the volatile and noble gas fission fragments produced in fission reactions in fuel rod, i.e. Krypton, Xenon, Iodine, Bromine, Rubidium and Cesium were employed so as to investigate their effects on the electrons＇ energy distribution. The present results show that most of the electrons in the fuel rod＇s gap were within the thermal energy limitation and the tail of the electron energy distribution was far from a Maxwellian distribution. The interesting outcome was that the electron energy distribution is slightly increased due to the accumulation of fission fragments in the gap. It should be noted that solving the FPE for the energy straggling electrons that are penetrating into the fuel-rod gap in the VVER-1000 nuclear reactor has been carried out for the first time using an analytical approach.

A Compact Low Energy Electron Microscope for Surface Analysis

The description and function characterization of a flange-on type low energy electron mi- croscope are given. In this microscope a magnetic beam separator with 10° deflection angle is used in order to facilitate compacting the instrument on a single 10 in. flange. Mean- while some correcting elements in the electron optical system are simplified to reduce the complexities of construction and operation. The sample is set close to ground potential, so that all the electrostatic lenses are easily to float at high voltages. The performance of the microscope in typical low energy electron microscopy, low energy electron diffraction and photoemission electron microscopy modes is demonstrated through several experiments. A lateral resolution of 51 nm is estimated for low energy electron microscopy imaging. With femtosecond laser as light source, the consequent nonlinear photoemission makes this micro-scope also suitable for the observation of optical near field phenomena and a lateral resolution of 110 nm is obtained.

Local electron mean energy profile of positive primary streamer discharge with pin-plate electrodes in oxygen nitrogen mixtures

Local electron mean energy （LEME） has a direct effect on the rates of collisional ionization of molecules and atoms by electrons. Electron-impact ionization plays an important role and is the main process for the production of charged particles in a primary streamer discharge. Detailed research on the LEME profile in a primary streamer discharge is extremely important for a comprehensive understanding of the local physical mechanism of a streamer. In this study, the LEME profile of the primary streamer discharge in oxygen-nitrogen mixtures with a pin-plate gap of 0.5 cm under an impulse voltage is investigated using a fluid model. The fluid model includes the electron mean energy density equation, as well as continuity equations for electrons and ions and Poisson＇s electric field equation. The study finds that, except in the initial stage of the primary streamer, the LEME in the primary streamer tip tends to increase as the oxygen-nitrogen mole ratio increases and the pressure decreases. When the primary streamer bridges the gap, the LEME in the primary streamer channel is smaller than the first ionization energies of oxygen and nitrogen. The LEME in the primary streamer channel then decreases as the oxygen-nitrogen mole ratio increases and the pressure increases. The LEME in the primary streamer tip is primarily dependent on the reduced electric field with mole ratios of oxygen-nitrogen given in the oxygen-nitrogen mixtures.

Areal density and spatial resolution of high energy electron radiography

Ultrafast imaging tools are of great importance for determining the dynamic density distribution in high energy density(HED)matter.In this work,we designed a high energy electron radiography(HEER)system based on a linear electron accelerator to evaluate its capability for imaging HED matter.40 MeV electron beams were used to image an aluminum target to study the density resolution and spatial resolution of HEER.The results demonstrate a spatial resolution of tens of micrometers.The interaction of the beams with the target and the beam transport of the transmitted electrons are further simulated with EGS5 and PARMELA codes,with the results showing good agreement with the experimental resolution.Furthermore,the experiment can be improved by adding an aperture at the Fourier plane.