Photo-emission-gated vacuum electron sources for x-ray communications
Abstract
We propose to investigate the Hot Electron Laser Assisted Cathode (HELAC) electron source and several candidate data-encoding strategies as enabling technologies for X-ray communications (XCOM). The HELAC is a new vacuum electron beam source offering several advantages over all other thermionic, field-emission, or photo-emission cathodes. For example, it is fully solid state and operates at room temperature, making it robustly stable and insensitive to exposure to atmospheric air. It also has a simplified planar architecture that, unlike atomicallysharp field emitter tips, can be straightforwardly fabricated with high yield and exhibit good device-to-device performance repeatability. In its recent first realization, it has emitted ~0.1 – 1 mA/cm2 of electron current and is capable of 10-250 GHz emission modulation rates. Most importantly, that performance is entirely consistent with what the models predicted for that example’s design. Those same models predict with high confidence that it can be straightforwardly redesigned and fabricated to emit ~ 1 A/cm2. Preliminary models predict that its upper bound emission limit may be as high as 100-1000 A/cm2. Maximum modulation rates as high as 1 THz may also be possible. Determining the actual emission limits and maximum modulation rates of HELAC electron sources will be studied as part of the proposed research program.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 21, 2022
- Source ID
- FA95502110305XX0
Entities
People
- John H. Booske
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Wisconsin System