Ultrafast thermionic emission from metal irradiated using a femtosecond laser and an electric field in combination

Ultrafast thermionic emission from gold film irradiated with a femtosecond laser pulse in the presence of an additional electric field is analyzed using a two-temperature equation combined with a modified Richardson equation. The calculated results show that the duration of the emission is below 1 ps. Supplying an additional electric field is found to change the emission from the metal surface. Given the same laser fluence, this additional field reduces the work function of the metal, and thus improves the efficiency of thermionic emission. These results help to understand the mechanism and suggest ways to improve emissions in the context of ultrafast thermalized electron systems. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.