IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRON DEVICES, VOL. ED-34, NO.

8, AUGUST 1987

1859

Beam Brightness of Patchy Temperature-Limited Cathodes

RICHARD F. GREENE,
SENIOR MEMBER, IEEE, AND

C . R. K. MARRIAN

Abstract-The beam brightness B of smooth thermionic cathodes is examined in the temperature-limited regimeas affected by work-function patchiness. Beam brightness is expressed in terms of the autocorrelation function of the work function nonuniformity in the laminar approximation. The dependenceon extraction field strength and other factors is discussed.

atz = 0
( a / a t -t (v

v)} u = ( - e / m > ( E +
E = -V+

x ~ / c ) .(2)
(3)
(4)

In the steady-state case

I. INTRODUCTION T HAS LONG been recognized [l] that the brightness B of beams from thermionic cathodes is degraded by thermal spread, surface roughness, work function nonuniformity or patchiness, etc. , and that this degradation may affect the performance and reliability of traveling wave tubes (TWTs) near knee the between temperature-limited (TL) and space-charge-limited (SCL) regimes. More recently, the sensitivity of free electron laser efficiency [2], [3] to B has increased this interest. Recently, it has been shown [4]that surface roughness may strongly degrade B . In this paper, we examine the effect of work function patchiness on B and show how this effect depends on the patchiness autocorrelation function and the extraction field in the TL regime. Beam emittance E and beam brightness B are approximate invariants [5] only for paraxial unaccelerated beams. These conditions do not obtain near the cathode, but the effect of patch fields on trajectories nevertheless can be estimated in the laminar approximation. Emittance growth due to space-charge forces in the nonuniform beam produced by a patchy cathode occurs largely outside the gun region and is treated elsewhere [6] as an implicit beam emittance.

so that

(v * V ) v

-(e/m)E

when magnetic forces are neglected. Writing Eo and vo for the patch-free case, one alsohas

( vo - V ) vo
Then, writing

- ( e / m )Eo.
v
=
VO

(5)
(6)

E = Eo

+ 6E,

+ 6~
1 /2

so that
u = (0, 0, 1 ) (-2ErJz/m) o

(7)

and 6u, the patch velocity satisfies the field equation

(Po
*

V ) 6v

+ (6u

0) uo

+ (6u -

V ) 6u
(8)

= - ( e / m ) 6E.

In the laminar approximation the quadratic terms in 6v are dropped. The transverse components of (8) then look like zlo(z)

(a/&)

6vx = ( - e / m ) 6Ex, etc.

(9)

This can be integrated conveniently in terms of transverse Fourier integrals, such as

M X

11. LAMINAR APPROXIMATION This involves the assumption that there is a single-valued velocity field u at each point ( R , z ) = ( x , y , z ) , so that we can transform the Lorentz (nonrelativistic) equation of motion

(Q, z )

d2R exp (i&

Qy7

- R ) 6ux( R , 2 ) / 2 ~ ,
0)

Q = (Qx,
(a2/az2 +
which gives

(10)
(11) (12a) (12b) (13)

in view of Laplaces equation (TL case!)

Q2)

Sd(Q, z ) = 0

dv/dt = ( - e / m ) ( E

+ u X B/c)

(1)

from the moving (Eulerian) coordinate system to the (Lagrangean) coordinate system fixed relative to the cathode
Manuscript received August 11, 1986; revised May 4,1987. The authors are with the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
20375-5000.

S & ( Q , z ) = 6d(Q, O)e-Qz, z > 0

and

6& (Q, = z)
Note that

(Q, e-eZ, z > 0. 0)

IEEE Log Number 8715724.

-e6+(R, 0 ) = 6 9 ( R )

U .S . Government work not protected by U. S . copyright,

1860

TRANSACTIONS IEEE

ON DEVICES, VOL. ELECTRON

ED-34, NO. 8, AUGUST 1987

where 6 9 ( R ) is the work function nonuniformity. One then has

which gives the mean transverse energy in terms of the work function patchiness autocorrelation function.

6 & (Q, ) z

- (e/2mEo)2 6& (Q, ) 0

lo
z >> R,.

ai

d.$ exp ( -E2).

(14)

In the absence of long-range order in 6 9 the patch fields evanesce for z >> R,, the work function autocorrelation length. Then
6gx (Q, ) = ( r e / 4 m ~ ~ ) ~ z (Q, ) ~ - 1 / 2 , 0

IV. AXIAL ENERGY SPREAD For a discussion of beam brightness one wants to obtain the axial energy spread from the transverse velocity expression (23). To carry this out, we consider that, in the laminar approximation, an electron passing through ( R , z ) must have come from a definite point ( Ro, 0 ) on the cathode. In steady state the energy is invariant along this trajectory so that ( m / 2 ) v ( Rz? - e 4 ( R , z ) ,
=

(5)

111. TRANSVERSEENERGY
For z

( m / 2 ) U(R0, o)2 - & ( R , 0 ) .

(24)

>> R,
d2R 6vi ( R ) 2 ,

Similarly, in the absence of patchiness

( 6 ~ : ) = LIM L - r m 4L2

( m / 2 ) vo(zY

- e4o(z) =

vo(O?

e40(0). (25)

where 6 v i ( R ) = 0 for R

> L (16) Then,since v( Ro, 0 ) 2 = ~

~ ( G 0kT, one finds that, ) ~

d2Q 6v:(Q)I2
using Parsevals theorem. Then, introducing (14) (17) Forthe asymptotic region

z >> R,, 64 = 0
6Ek(Q,0)12/Q (18)
whence

(274

ne (6~:) = 4mEo
- - ne -

4mEo

LIM -!L 4L2

I]

m v o s v , ( ~Z ) , d2Q d2Rd2R

+ ( m / 2 ) ~ Z J (2) , R
z >> R,.
(27b)

= 69(R),

- exp iQ - ( R - R ) 6Ei (R,0 )

- GE:(R, O ) / ~ ~ ~ Q
But

(19)

Since the RHS of (27b) is independent of z, and since vo oc &, it follows that 6vz oc 1/ & for z >> R,, and that mvo6v, ( R , z ) ( m / 2 ) 6vR(R,

d2Q ( ~ X iQ P
=

( R - R

))/Q
(28)

a+(&),

z >> R,

(281

2~

1
0

and

dQ Ja(Q0R) = 2n/AR

where AR = R - R . Thus

mvo(6vz) -t (msvR(R, z?/2) = ( 6 + ) = 0, z ,>> R,

(29)

e (6v,2>= -LIM 8mEo 4L2

*

d2R d2AR

where 6vR is the transverse part of 6v. This makes it possible to find the axial energy spread

SE, ( R , 0 ) 6E: ( R

+ AR,

O)/AR

(21 1

> = (mv2/2 - m v ; / 2 ) = ( m v o ~ v+ m&v,2/2) z

= mvo( 6vz) = - ( m 6 v i / 2 ) , z >> R,
n

=-

e LIM 8mEo 4L2

S
1

d2AR
= (1/16eEo)

( 6E$ ( R , 0 ) 6Ek ( R + AR, 0 )) / A R (X!)

d2AR AR-V2 (

(R)
(30)

Using the result (A3) of the Appendix, this becomes

6+(R

+ AR)).

(m6v,2/2) = - d2AR (( a2/i3Ax2) 16eEo

*

( 6 9 ( R ) 6 9 ( R4- A R ) ) ) / A R (23)

V. BEAMBRIGHTNESS We can obtain B from the conventional expression [5] B = ( J / 2 r ) (AT,, T I ,) where J is the current density. / Comparing this to the thermal value, one has, in the lam-

GREENE AND MARRIAN: BEAM BRIGHTNESS OF CATHODES

1861

inar approximation

_ - -- 0
d 2 A R1 V 2 E

12

Bthemd 16eEokT

Bpatch -- -

a h 2 LIM
AR

-&3 d2Q S$"(Q)

r P

@"(e)* iQ exp

( S O ( R ) S@(R

+ AR)).

(31)

Thus, for example, for a dispenser cathode with a smooth surface (type A or CPD) the work function autocorrela4 tion, in the unpoisoned condition, is determined by surface diffusion and evaporation of Ba on the oxygenated substrate, so that one might expect

e 2 aAx2

a2

( S O ( R ) SO(R

+ AR)).

REFERENCES
[l] C. Herring and M. H. Nichols, Rev.Mod.Phys., vol. 21,p. 185, 1949. [2] R. M. Phillips, IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, vol. 7, p. 231, 1960. [3] P. Sprangle, R. A. Smith, and V. Granatstein, in Infrared and Millimeter Waves, Val. I-Sources of Radiation, K. J. Button, Ed. New York Academic, 1979. [4] Y. Y. Lau, J . Appl. Phys., vol. 61, p. 36, 1987. [5] J. D. Lawson, The Physics of Charged Particle Beams. New York: Oxford, 1977. [6] R. F. Greene and C. R. K. Marrian, to be published (1987). [7] R. E. Thomas, private communication (1986).

( 6 @ ( R )6 O ( R

+ AR))
(32)

= ( 6c2) a O / a c ) " (exp - AR/&) (

where C is the Ba surface concentration. (The diffusion length 6might be expected to be about 10 pm on tungsten at 1050C [7].) On the other hand, for a pressed powder LaB6 cathode, the work function is probably uniform over each microcrystal, and uncorrelated with the value on neighboring microcrystals. In that case one might expect
(SO(R)SO(R

+ AR)) = (SO2),
5:

for AR < d (33a)

*
Richard F. Greene (SM'79) was born in New York, NY, in 1925, received the B.S. degree in physics from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, in 1946, and received the Ph.D. degree in theoretical physics from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, in 1951. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois, Urbana, in 1951-1953. He served in the U.S. Army and was discharged in 1947. He worked at theWestinghouse Research Laboratory from 1953 to 1958. He joined the Naval Ordnance Laboratory in 1958 and transfemd to the Naval Research Laboratory in 1975, where he has since been Head of the Surface Physics Branch. He has published papers in statistical mechanics, nonlinear mechanics, chemical physics, surface physics, semiconductor transport, and device theory. He has taught undergraduate and graduate physics at several universities. He holds patents in solid state devices, infrared devices, field emission devices, lithographic pattern transfer processes, and thermionic emitters. Dr. Greene has served on theEditorial Board of Applications of Surface Science.

0 , for AR

>d

(33b)

where d is the mean particle size (perhaps 0.5 pm). It is clearfrom these results that the beam brightness is significantly degraded by work function patchiness only forsmaller extraction fields, closetothe space-charge knee.

VI. IMPLICIT BEAMEMITTANCE The nonuniform beam extracted from a patchy cathode will, of course, experience emittance growth by spacecharge forces. Although such an emittance growth will occur mainly beyond the gun region, such a growth is implicit in the work function nonuniformity via Richardson's equation. A treatment of this implicit beam emittance, based on excess Coulomb energy, will be presented separately.

APPENDIX The autocorrelation function for the patch field at the cathode is (choosing SEX( ) = 0 for R > L , and using R the Wiener-Khinchine theorem) (6Ex ( R ) 6Ex ( R + A R ) )
* "

*
C. R. K. Marrian was born in Cambridge, England, in 1951. He studied at Cambridge University and received the B.A. degree in engineering in 1973. He remained at the Electrical Engineering Department at Cambridge and was awarded the Ph.D. degree in 1978 for his dissertation on the Auger spectroscopy of thermionic cathodes. He subsequently spent nearly three years at CERN in Switzerland working on an Avalanche chamber used in a quark search experiment. In 1980, he crossed the Atlantic and joined the Surface Physics Branch at the Naval Research Laboratory. At NRL he has continued his studies of tungsten-based thermionic emitters, particularly under conditions of nonideal vacuum. More recently, he has become interested in the limits of lithographic techniques for microfabrication.

d2R SE:(R) 6E'I;(R+ A R )

= LIM = LIM

(Al)
AR

41~ 2 d2Q 6E:(Q)SE:(Q>*

4 1~ 2 d2Q Qz6$"(Q)S$"(Q)*

exp iQ exp iQ

AR