THE USE OF PRECISE SCHOTTKY DATA IN THE ANALYSIS OF THE METAL-VACCUM SURFACE BARRIER FOR THERMIONIC EMITTERS: I-RHENIUM

The Schottky effect in thermionic emission carried to the second order is equivalent to an electron Fabry-Perot interferometer which may be used to investigate the physics of the emitter surface. This method has been used in a precise experimental determination of the Herring-Nichols surface-reflect...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: D'Haenens,I. J, Coomes,E. A
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ATOMIC STRUCTURE
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
CRYSTALS
Electricity and Magnetism
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRONS
ENERGY
INTERFEROMETERS
METALS
Optics
REFLECTION
RHENIUM
SCHOTTKY EFFECT
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACES
THERMIONIC EMISSION
VACUUM
VALENCE
WORK FUNCTIONS
Online Access:Request full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The Schottky effect in thermionic emission carried to the second order is equivalent to an electron Fabry-Perot interferometer which may be used to investigate the physics of the emitter surface. This method has been used in a precise experimental determination of the Herring-Nichols surface-reflection coefficient mu from periodic deviations in the thermionic Schottky effect for rhenium. The value of mu=0.29 exp(i0.42) is in good agreement with a Sommerfeld box model in which the valence electrons of the atoms near the metallic surface are assumed to be free. It is suggested that this high density of Sommerfeld electrons at the emitter, resulting from radical modifications in the energy-level system as the surface is approached from deep in the crystal, associates with the dependence of work function on crystallographic direction and details of surface atomic structure. (Author)