Location: Zoom 

Meeting ID: 919 0856 4931  Passcode: 476937

Title: Theoretical Characterization of the Nanoblade Optical Field Emission Cathode   

Abstract: Optical field emission enhanced by nanostructure-induced focusing beyond the diffraction imit promises high-current,  high-brightness electron beams. The nanoblade, an atomically sharp wedge with a metallic coating, has boasted enhanced fields up to 80 V/nm at a wavelength of 800 nm. Furthermore, the associated rescattering process produces high harmonic generation which may be of greater intensity than that of gas sources. In this thesis we aim to theoretically and computationally characterize the nanoblade cathode. In studying quasi-static field emission, we produce an effective source distribution applicable for any conductor, finding strong deviations from free-electron gas results for tungsten and copper-group (111) surfaces. We consider the near-field ponderomotive dynamics under the existence of a strong field gradient, finding modifications to existing classical rescattering cutoffs which will become of import particularly in high-wavelength ventures. In finding the limits of such a cathode, we perform a simple comparative thermomechanical study of tips and blades and find that structures with large opening angles perform better than their narrower counterparts. We explore the distribution of emitted radiation and consider the addition of gratings to improve high harmonic generation prospects. To estimate the emittance, brightness, and radiation yield, we develop an object-oriented time-dependent density-functional theory code, in C++ with a Python wrapper, which projects the grander system down to a single dimension. The following unprojection scheme permits the efficient estimation of these critical beam properties.