Precise determination of reliable work function in according to the definition from photoelectric effect

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical method to accurately determine the work function from photoelectric effect data by analyzing frequency-dependent photoelectric yield, validated with experiments on metals and clusters.

Contribution

It introduces a new numerical approach based on Fermi-Dirac distribution and Einstein's work function definition to predict work functions precisely from photoelectric spectra.

Findings

Simulations agree well with observed spectra

Theoretical explanation of threshold frequency for work function

Method applicable to metal clusters and bulk metals

Abstract

The strategy of using the definition of work function from photoelectric effect to determine precise and reliable work function by the contribution of frequency to photoelectric yield is investigated theoretically in this paper. Based on the Fermi-Dirac distribution and the definition of work function proposed by Einstein in photoelectric effect, a typical numerical method is pursed step by step to quantitatively analyze the frequency-dependent photoelectric yield. Supplementing applications to In14 cluster and three kinds of metals, the simulations agree well with the observed spectra (photoelectric yield-frequency). At the same time, the threshold frequency of light-dependent the work function is theoretically explained successfully via one equation so that the work function can be predicted precisely and reliably. These results suggest that the formalism pursed in this paper, which is straight forward and physical, may be of significant utility in metal cluster spectroscopy. It is hoped also that the results will encourage a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the applicability of bulk-derived models to cluster photo-ionization behavior, and of the transition from atomic and molecular-type to surface-type photoemission.