To Get More Oomph From an Electron Gun, Tip It with Diamondoids
Wednesday, December 9, 2015 - 14:45
in Physics & Chemistry
They sound like futuristic weapons, but electron guns are actually workhorse tools for research and industry: They emit streams of electrons for electron microscopes, semiconductor patterning equipment and particle accelerators, to name a few important uses. Now scientists at Stanford University and the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have figured out how to increase these electron flows 13,000-fold by applying a single layer of diamondoids - tiny, perfect diamond cages - to an electron gun's sharp gold tip.