To improve the understanding of the optical image resolution of transmission-mode GaAs photocathode, by establishing the surface scattering analysis model of AlGaAs window layer, we have researched the effect of the surface height distribution variance σ on scattering surface transfer function (STF) and point spread function (PSF) of transmission-mode GaAs photocathode. The simulation results show that the decrease of surface height distribution variance σ is beneficial to improve the optical image resolution. This improvement is mainly attributed to the decrease in input light energy attenuation and spatial diffusion caused by smaller surface height distribution variance σ, and thus the signal to noise ratio of scattering degraded optical image is increased.

C-doped GaAs is considered a potential material for negative electron affinity photocathodes, where the p-type doped property is beneficial to photoemission. To clarify the stability and efficiency during Cs/O activation, the gradient concentration of Cs adsorption and Cs/O co-adsorption models of C-doped GaAs are established. The work function, adsorption energy, and surface dipole moment are intensified by first principles calculation based on density functional theory. Experimental results demonstrate that Cs/O activation effectively enhances the performance of C-doped GaAs photocathodes, resulting in high levels of quantum efficiency. Therefore, we conclude that C-doped GaAs photocathodes have the potential to significantly improve the photoelectric emission performance and stability of GaAs photocathodes, making them a viable candidate for future applications.

In the preparation process of negative electron affinity GaAs photocathodes, the p-type doped property is beneficial to photoemission, and the doping element is usually Be or Zn. In fact, C-doped GaAs material has been widely used due to its high activation rate, extremely low diffusion coefficient, and good thermal stability, whereas the influence mechanism of the C dopant on the performance of the GaAs photocathode is still unclear. In order to investigate the substitutional effect on C-doped GaAs, electronic structures and optical properties along with angular distribution of emitted photoelectrons are obtained by utilizing first-principles calculation based on density functional theory. The results show that C-doped GaAs is more likely to form a p-type doped feature in which the C dopant forms new levels in the forbidden band and reduces the energy gap as well as increasing the absorption coefficient and decreasing the reflectivity in the visible light band. In addition, the electrons emitted from the Γ-valley for C-doped GaAs have better directivity than those for pure GaAs, which is mainly ascribed to the smaller effective electron mass in the Γ-valley.

The AlGaN photocathode with a superlattice emission layer was grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The existence of the superlattice structure was confirmed using a transmission electron microscope, and its optical and electrical properties were measured. The results showed that the introduction of a superlattice emission layer can reduce the transmittance and reflectance at 275 nm and improve the absorption of incident light. In particular, the Hall measurement results indicate that the introduction of a superlattice structure can significantly increase the concentration of holes in the AlGaN photocathode material. The activation experiment demonstrated that the photocurrent of the AlGaN photocathode subassembly with a superlattice structure increased significantly after Cs/O activation and that it showed better photoemission performance. The increase in the incident light absorption to produce more photoelectrons, the enhancement of photoelectron transport capacity by the polarized electric field generated by the superlattice structure, and the reduction in the surface barrier caused by the higher hole concentration were responsible for the significant improvement in photoemission performance.

An infrared perfect absorber structure is designed based on GaAs/Au/SiO2 metamaterial with numerical simulation, in which gold split ring resonators (SRR) embedded in the GaAs layer. The absorption exceeds 99% at 1360 nm under the plane wave excitation with its polarization perpendicular to the opening direction of the SRR. When the polarization of the plane wave is parallel to the opening direction, the absorption exceeds 97% and 56% at 970 and 2070 nm, respectively, which realize dual-band absorption. The absorption peaks are effectively modulated by controlling surface current density distribution and resonant electromagnetic response. In addition, the resonant wavelengths are further manipulated by optimizing the resonant ring structural parameters, which achieve ultrawide-band absorption ranging from near-infrared to mid-infrared region. The absorber remains absorption peaks above 96% under wide-angle plane wave incidence, and the resonant peak positions are independent of the incident angle. This work exhibits the promise of GaAs-based metamaterial in practical applications in energy harvesting and night vision imaging.

Due to the excellent quantum conversion and spectral response characteristics of the AlGaN photocathode, it has become the most promising III-V group semiconductor photocathode in solar-blind signal photoconversion devices in the ultraviolet band. Herein, the influence factors of the time-resolved characteristics of the AlGaN photocathode are researched by solving the photoelectron continuity equation and photoelectron flow density equation, such as the AlN/AlGaN interface recombination rate, AlGaN electron diffusion coefficient, and AlGaN activation layer thickness. The results show that the response time of the AlGaN photocathode decreases gradually with the increase in AlGaN photoelectron diffusion coefficient and AlN/AlGaN interface recombination rate, but the response time of the AlGaN photocathode gradually becomes saturated with the further increase in AlN/AlGaN interface recombination rate. When the thickness of the AlGaN photocathode is reduced from 250 nm to 50 nm, the response time of the AlGaN photocathode decreases from 63.28 ps to 9.91 ps, and the response time of AlGaN photocathode greatly improves. This study provides theoretical guidance for the development of a fast response UV detector.