Anomalous intense coherent secondary photoemission from a perovskite oxide

Caiyun Hong, Wenjun Zou, Pengxu Ran, K. Tanaka, M. Matzelle, Wei-Chi Chiu, R. S. Markiewicz, B. Barbiellini, Changxi Zheng, Sheng Li, Arun Bansil () and Rui-Hua He ()
Additional contact information
Caiyun Hong: Westlake University
Wenjun Zou: Westlake University
Pengxu Ran: Westlake University
K. Tanaka: Institute for Molecular Science
M. Matzelle: Northeastern University
Wei-Chi Chiu: Northeastern University
R. S. Markiewicz: Northeastern University
B. Barbiellini: Northeastern University
Changxi Zheng: Westlake University
Sheng Li: Zhejiang Normal University
Arun Bansil: Northeastern University
Rui-Hua He: Westlake University

Nature, 2023, vol. 617, issue 7961, 493-498

Abstract: Abstract Photocathodes—materials that convert photons into electrons through a phenomenon known as the photoelectric effect—are important for many modern technologies that rely on light detection or electron-beam generation1–3. However, current photocathodes are based on conventional metals and semiconductors that were mostly discovered six decades ago with sound theoretical underpinnings4,5. Progress in this field has been limited to refinements in photocathode performance based on sophisticated materials engineering1,6. Here we report unusual photoemission properties of the reconstructed surface of single crystals of the perovskite oxide SrTiO3(100), which were prepared by simple vacuum annealing. These properties are different from the existing theoretical descriptions4,7–10. In contrast to other photocathodes with a positive electron affinity, our SrTiO3 surface produces, at room temperature, discrete secondary photoemission spectra, which are characteristic of efficient photocathode materials with a negative electron affinity11,12. At low temperatures, the photoemission peak intensity is enhanced substantially and the electron beam obtained from non-threshold excitations shows longitudinal and transverse coherence that differs from previous results by at least an order of magnitude6,13,14. The observed emergence of coherence in secondary photoemission points to the development of a previously undescribed underlying process in addition to those of the current theoretical photoemission framework. SrTiO3 is an example of a fundamentally new class of photocathode quantum materials that could be used for applications that require intense coherent electron beams, without the need for monochromatic excitations.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05900-4

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