Resolution characteristics of graded band-gap reflection-mode AlGaAs/GaAs photocathodes

The modulation transfer function (MTF) of graded band-gap AlGaAs/GaAs reflection-mode photocathodes was determined using two-dimensional Poisson and continuity equations through numerical method. Based on the MTF model, we calculated the theoretical MTF of graded and uniform band-gap reflection-mode photocathodes. We then analyzed the effects of Al composition, wavelength of incident photon, and thicknesses of AlGaAs and GaAs layer on the resolution. Calculation results show that graded band-gap structures can increase the resolution of reflection-mode photocathodes. When the spatial frequency is 800 lp/mm and wavelength is 600 nm, the resolution of graded band-gap photocathodes generally increases by 15.4–29.6%. The resolution improvement of graded band-gap photocathodes is attributed to the fact that the built-in electric field in graded band-gap photocathodes reduces the lateral diffusion distance of photoelectrons.