Modeling Field Electron Emission from a Flat Au (100) Surface with Density-Functional Theory

Abstract

Field electron emission, or electron tunneling through a potential energy (PE) barrier under the influence of a strong electrostatic (ES) or radio frequency (RF) field, is of broad interest to the accelerator physics community. For example, it is the source of undesirable dark currents in resonant cavities, providing a limit to high-field operation. Field electron emission can also be applied to quasi-statically model electron emission induced by the electric field in a laser pulse. The classical approach to field electron emission is the Fowler–Nordheim (FN) framework, which incorporates a simplified PE profile and various assumptions. Here, we build a more realistic model using the PE and charge densities derived from a density-functional theory (DFT) calculation. We examine the correction factors associated with each model assumption. Compared to the FN framework, our results can be extended up to 80 GV/m, a limit that has been reached in laser-induced strong field emission scenarios.