The degradation of quantum efficiency in negative electron affinity GaAs photocathodes under gas exposure

The influence of O2, CO2, CO, N2, H2 and CH4 on the stability of the quantum efficiency (QE) of a negative electron affinity gallium arsenide (GaAs) photocathode activated with caesium (Cs) and oxygen (O) has been demonstrated for the first time under an extremely high vacuum condition, a base pressure of 1.5 × 10−11 mbar, where the influence of the background gas is minimized. It was found that exposure of a GaAs photocathode to N2, H2 and CH4 does not affect the QE, whereas exposure to O2, CO2 and CO leads to a substantial reduction in photocathode QE. It was also found that the QE of photocathodes which have been degraded under O2 exposure can be recovered to 95% of their initial QE level by the re-caesiation process, while those which have been degraded under exposure to CO and CO2 can only be partly restored to 60–70% of their initial QE levels.