Open AccessOptimization of the X‐ray incidence angle in photoelectron spectrometers
Author(s) -
Strocov Vladimir N.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of synchrotron radiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.172
H-Index - 99
ISSN - 1600-5775
DOI - 10.1107/s0909049513007747
Subject(s) - x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , spectrometer , attenuation , intensity (physics) , x ray , synchrotron , attenuation length , range (aeronautics) , absorption (acoustics) , acceptance angle , optics , materials science , atomic physics , physics , nuclear magnetic resonance , composite material
The interplay between the angle‐dependent X‐ray reflectivity, X‐ray absorption and the photoelectron attenuation length in the photoelectron emission process determines the optimal X‐ray incidence angle that maximizes the photoelectron signal. Calculations in the wide VUV to the hard X‐ray energy range show that the optimal angle becomes more grazing with increasing energy, from a few tens of degrees at 50 eV to about one degree at 3.5 keV. This is accompanied by an intensity gain of a few tens of times, as long as the X‐ray footprint on the sample stays within the analyzer field of view. This trend is fairly material‐independent. The obtained results bear immediate implications for the design of (synchrotron‐based) photoelectron spectrometers.