Characterization of a metastable neon beam extracted from a commercial RF ion source

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the effective extraction and characterization of a metastable neon beam from a commercial RF ion source, including flux, velocity, and efficiency measurements, with a novel quenching detection method adaptable to other noble gases.

Contribution

We developed a straightforward method to characterize metastable neon beams from a commercial RF ion source, including a novel quenching detection technique applicable to other noble gases.

Findings

Optimal flux density of 2×10^{12} atoms/s/sr identified

Metastable velocity distribution and efficiency characterized

Quenching detection method successfully implemented

Abstract

We have used a commercial RF ion-source to extract a beam of metastable neon atoms. The source was easily incorporated into our existing system and was operative within a day of installation. The metastable velocity distribution, flux, flow, and efficiency were investigated for different RF powers and pressures, and an optimum was found at a flux density of $2\times10^{12}\,$atoms/s/sr. To obtain an accurate measurement of the amount of metastable atoms leaving the source, we insert a Faraday cup in the beam line and quench some of them using a weak $633\,$nm laser beam. In order to determine how much of the beam was quenched before reaching our detector, we devised a simple model for the quenching transition and investigated it for different laser powers. This detection method can be easily adapted to other noble gas atoms.