Method for simultaneous measurement of the work function and the field reduction factor – published in Review of Scientific Instruments.
A main research focus at our chair is the investigation of light-matter interaction on metals on ultrafast time scales. For this purpose, we focus ultrashort laser pulses on metallic needle tips and investigate the emitted electrons. Important parameters of these tips are the work function, as well as the static electric field at the end of the tip, at a given applied voltage. In our latest publication at Review of Scientific Instruments, we present a new method to simultaneously measure the work function and a parameter that determines the static field strength. For this we only need two standard laser diodes at two different wavelengths, and an adjustable voltage at the metal tip. Thus, our method can be easily integrated into already existing setups and allows a more precise measurement – especially when the work function can change due to possible adsorbates on the tip and is therefore potentially unknown. The publication can be found here.