Particle simulation of femtosecond laser stimulation of electrical discharges in small gaps

Abstract

A particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision simulation study of femtosecond laser stimulation of electrical discharges in submicron gaps between platinum scanning tunneling microscope cathode tips and gold film anodes in atmospheric pressure argon gas is described. The breakdown potential of gaps containing either preloaded electrons or preloaded neutral and ionized platinum atoms and electrons at various densities were compared to the breakdown potential of gaps with background argon gas alone. It was found that gaps preloaded with sufficient densities of either electrons or partially ionized electrode materials broke down at cathode potential of −80 V while gaps with background argon gas alone required applied cathode potentials between −200 to −250 V to cause a breakdown. Also, partially ionized material was much more effective at stimulating breakdown than electrons alone. The density of preloaded partially ionized platinum required to lower breakdown cathode potential to −80 V was approximately 12.5 times smaller than that required for the preloaded electrons alone in the same size gap. Analysis of the mechanism by which the preloaded partially ionized material promoted breakdown showed that laser ablated ions located near the cathode tip increased the local field at the cathode surface and the field-emitted electron flux from the cathode. This higher electron flux ionized background argon gas and preloaded platinum which resulted in gap breakdown. The threshold density of partially ionized platinum for gap breakdown varied approximately linearly with applied cathode potential.