利用多信息量测试系统分别测试了反射式GaAs光电阴极激活后在0(无光照),33和100lx白光照射情况下阴极的光电流衰减变化曲线,计算得到其寿命分别为320,160和75min,阴极稳定性随光照强度的增加而降低,测试了只有光照(100lx)而无光电流流过阴极时阴极的寿命为100min.通过比较发现光照比光电流对阴极稳定性的影响更大.还测试了阴极在33lx光照下量子效率曲线随时间的衰减,发现阴极低能光子的量子效率下降速度更快,导致量子效率曲线形状不断发生变化.基于修正后的反射式阴极量子效率公式对这种变化进行了理论分析,发现与光电子的谷间散射和阴极衰减过程中表面势垒形状的变化有关.
The photocurrent curves of reflection-mode GaAs photocathodes as a function of time, when were illuminated by white light with an intensity of 0, 33 and 100 lx, respectively, were measured using a multi-information measurement system. The calculated lifetimes of cathodes are 320, 160 and 75 min, respectively, showing that the stability of cathodes degraded with the increase of light intensity. The lifetime of cathode, illuminated by white light with an intensity of 100 lx, while no photocurrent was being drawn during the illumination, was 100 rain. Through comparison, we found that the influence of illumination on cathodes stability is greater than that of photocurrent. The quantum-yield curves of cathodes as a functions of time, when illuminated by white light with an intensity of 33 lx, were measured also. The measured results show that the shape of the yield curves changes with increasing illumination time due to the faster quantum-yield degradation rate of low energy photons. Based on the revised quantum-efficiency equations for the reflection-mode cathodes, the variation of yield curves are analyzed to be due to the intervalley diffusion of photoelectrons and the evolution of the surface potential barrier profile of the photocathodes during degradation process.