Fundamentals of Electron Emission Physics

An authoritative and accurate guide to the physics of research- and technology-relevant phenomena of electron emission

In Fundamentals of Electron Emission Physics, distinguished research physicist, Dr. Kevin Jensen, delivers a practice-oriented introduction to the physics of electron emission. The book uses a physical intuition approach based on many years of research instead of heavy-handed mathematical formalism.

The author explores and explains the fundamentals of electron emission and the basis for successful performance and interpretation of experiments conducted at lab- and large-scale electron sources. He addresses the most common stumbling blocks that students and researchers who are new to the field often run into when confronted with the intricacies of the physics of electron emission.

• Thorough introductions to semiconductors, canonical emission models, and modern physics methods
• Comprehensive explorations of tunneling and transmission, the thermal-field-photoemission model, three-step models of photo- and secondary emission, and space charge
• Practical discussions of mathematical methods and specialized functions (e.g., Gamma function, Riemann Zeta function, orthogonal polynomials)
• A mathematical appendix, as well as sample problems and solutions to help explain the topics discussed in the book

Perfect for advanced undergraduate and doctoral students in solid state physics, materials science, electron transport, and beam physics, Fundamentals of Electron Emission Physics will also benefit users and developers of electron sources and practicing academics and researchers.

Kevin L. Jensen, PhD, was a research physicist in the Materials and Systems Branch, Materials Science and Technology Division at the Naval Research Laboratory in the United States until his retirement in 2023, and is now a Research Physicist at the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics at the University of Maryland. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, which recognized him for his contributions to the theory and modelling of electron emission sources or particle accelerators and microwave tubes, and a recipient of the Sigma Xi Applied Science Award for his work on electron emission.