Method for monitoring GaAs photocathode heat cleaning temperature

Before a GaAs photocathode can be activated to achieve a negative electron affinity condition, the GaAs crystal must be cleaned. This is most commonly done by ohmic, radiative, or electron bombardment heating. We report a new technique to monitor the temperature of heated GaAs photocathodes by observation with a camera. The method is robust and yields the same temperatures for different GaAs samples heated using different methods in different mounting configurations. Published by AIP Publishing.