Angular distribution of electron emission from ultrafast nanotip sources

Abstract: We investigate the angular distribution of ultrafast laser-induced electron emission from a tungsten nanotip in the multiphoton regime. A theoretical model allows precise determination of the relative contribution of different electron emission mechanisms, revealing connections between emission mechanism and the angular distribution of emitted electrons. We infer a continuous map of the work function across the surface of the tip, which in combination with the model can be used to predict values including the number of electrons per pulse and the angular divergence of the resulting beam as a function of laser power and tip voltage for (310)-oriented tungsten nanotips. The model is straightforward to implement and can be used to optimize the performance of instruments using ultrafast nanotip electron sources.