Anticathode effect on electron kinetics in electron beam generated $\mathbf{E} \times \mathbf{B}$ plasma

TL;DR

This paper investigates how an anticathode voltage bias influences electron confinement and turbulence regimes in electron beam generated E×B plasmas, with implications for material processing and quantum systems.

Contribution

It demonstrates that anticathode bias can effectively control electron populations and turbulence transition in E×B plasmas, a novel approach for plasma manipulation.

Findings

Anticathode bias controls electron collection and repulsion.

Transition between weak and strong turbulence is influenced by bias.

Control of warm and beam electron populations achieved.

Abstract

Electron beam (e-beam) generated plasmas with applied crossed electric and magnetic $\left(\mathbf{E} \times \mathbf{B}\right)$ fields are promising for low damage processing of materials with applications to microelectronics and quantum information systems. In cylindrical e-beam $\mathbf{E} \times \mathbf{B}$ plasmas, radial confinement of electrons and ions is achieved by an axial magnetic field and radial electric field, respectively. To control the axial confinement of electrons, such e-beam generated plasma sources may incorporate a conducting boundary known as an anticathode, which is placed on the axially opposite side of the plasma from the cathode. In this work, it is shown that varying the anticathode voltage bias can control the degree to which the anticathode collects or repels incident electrons, allowing control of warm electron (electron energies in 10-30 eV range) and beam electron population confinement. It is suggested that the effect of the anticathode bias on the formation of these distinct electron populations is also associated with the transition between weak turbulence and strong Langmuir turbulence.