Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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AKBP: Arbeitskreis Beschleunigerphysik

AKBP 8: Poster AKBP

AKBP 8.1: Poster

Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 09:30–11:00, P4

Status of the Automated Activation of GaAs Photocathodes at Photo-CATCH* — •Markus Engart, Joachim Enders, Maximilian Herbert, Robin Petry, Julian Schulze, and Vincent Wende — Institut für Kernphysik, TU Darmstadt, Germany

Photocathodes based on the III-V seminconductor GaAs are used as photo-electron sources to supply spin-polarized electron beams for accelerator applications. In order to achieve a sufficient electron yield, a thin surface layer of cesium combined with an oxidant is applied onto the cathode surface in a process called the cathode activation. It is typically done manually by an experienced operator. This contribution presents the current status in the development and testing of an adaptive algorithm for automated activation at the Photo-CATCH test stand.

*Work supported by DFG (GRK 2128 *AccelencE *, project number 264883531 and Project-ID 499256822 * GRK 2891 'Nuclear Photonics')

Keywords: photocathode; GaAs; automation