Recent progress in research on CsI thin film photocathodes

Abstract

Caesium iodide (CsI) thin films have attracted much attention due to good electron transport and emission properties in the soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet range. With the rapid development of nuclear physics, high energy physics and astrophysics, the requirements for CsI film photocathodes become increasingly severe, and it is therefore of considerable interest to develop CsI photocathodes with high quantum efficiency (QE) and stable performance. However, the internal mechanisms of QE variation and photocathode aging are not entirely clear or certain up to date. In this paper, the recent progress on CsI film photocathodes is reviewed and some controversial issues are introduced. Several perspectives are also proposed in the end.