Field emitter electrostatics: efficient improved simulation technique for highly precise calculation of field enhancement factors

TL;DR

This paper introduces an improved simulation technique called MDD Extrapolation Technique (MDDET) for more efficient and precise calculation of field enhancement factors in electrostatics, reducing computational resources needed.

Contribution

The paper presents the MDDET method, enhancing the existing MDD approach by enabling high-precision results with smaller simulation domains, saving memory and computation time.

Findings

MDDET achieves comparable accuracy to larger domain simulations.

Application to HEP and HCP models demonstrates efficiency gains.

Significant reduction in memory and time requirements.

Abstract

When solving the Laplace equation numerically via computer simulation, in order to determine the field values at the surface of a shape model that represents a field emitter, it is necessary to define a simulation box and, within this, a simulation domain. This domain must not be so small that the box boundaries have an undesirable influence on the predicted field values. A recent paper discussed the situation of cylindrically symmetric emitter models that stand on one of a pair of well-separated parallel plates. This geometry can be simulated by using two-dimensional domains. For a cylindrical simulation box, formulae have previously been presented that define the minimum domain dimensions (MDD) (height and radius) needed to evaluate the apex value of the field enhancement factor for this type of model, with an error-magnitude never larger than a "tolerance" $\epsilon_{\rm{tol}}$. This MDD criterion helps to avoid inadvertent errors and oversized domains. The present article discusses (in greater depth than previously) a significant improvement in the MDD method; this improvement has been called the MDD Extrapolation Technique (MDDET). By carrying out two simulations with relatively small MDD values, it is possible to achieve a level of precision comparable with the results of carrying out a single simulation using a much larger simulation domain. For some simulations, this could result in significant savings of memory requirements and computing time. Following a brief restatement of the original MDD method, the MDDET method is illustrated by applying it to the hemiellipsoid-on-plane (HEP) and hemisphere-on-cylindrical-post (HCP) emitter shape models.