Absolute measurement of total photo desorption yield of solid neon in vacuum ultraviolet range

Abstract

Absolute yields of photo-induced desorption at the surface of solid Ne have been measured at wavelengths of incident light between 25 and 100 nm. There is a strong dependence of the total desorption yield of Ne on both the excitation energy and the thickness of Ne films. On a thick film, the desorption yield is 1–2 atoms per photon by bulk exciton excitation and 2–10 atoms per photon by bulk ionization. These values are quantitatively explained by an internal sputtering mechanism. By the surface exciton excitation, the yield is 0.1–0.3 atoms per photon, which value means that the desorption probability of the surface exciton is almost unity.