A setup for the study of surface processes under external homogeneous electric fields

TL;DR

This paper presents a setup to study how external homogeneous electric fields affect dynamic surface processes, using a device that applies a DC voltage across a vacuum gap and demonstrates Fowler-Nordheim tunneling behavior.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel experimental setup for applying uniform electric fields to surfaces and validates it through field-emission measurements.

Findings

Successful realization of homogeneous electric fields up to 2.3 V/nm

Observation of Fowler-Nordheim tunneling behavior

Demonstration of the device's functional capability

Abstract

A setup for studying the influence of external electric fields on dynamic surface processes is described. Spatially-extended homogeneous electric fields are realized by applying a DC voltage in between a planar electrode and a metallic substrate, which are separated by a narrow vacuum gap. The functional capability of the device is demonstrated by recording the field-emission characteristic as a function of the applied field up to 2.3 V/nm, revealing proper Fowler-Nordheim tunneling behavior.