Collaborative GOALI Proposal: Self-assembled Arrays of Rare-earth Sulfide Nanowires for Traveling Wave Tube Applications

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Objective and approach:The objective of this research is to synthesize well ordered self assembled arrays of rare earth sulfide nanowires. This will result in dense arrays of highly efficient field emitters that have low work function (~ 1 eV) and high melting point (~ 2000 C). They will be capable of delivering several tens of A/sq-cm at low threshold voltages and will be used in traveling wave tubes produced by the industrial partner.The approach involves pulsed laser deposition of the constituent materials into 10-nm sized pores of porous alumina and testing them at the facilities of the industrial partner.The broad impacts are varied. The commercial impact is in the field of cold cathode technology that has applications in wireless systems including cell phones, base stations, satellite communications, flat panel displays, etc. The educational impact is in the training of graduate students as well as outreach efforts to mostly African American 9th and 12th graders through the Richmond Area Program for Minorities in Engineering (at Virginia) and to other under-represented groups though the Ethnic Engineers program at Cincinnati. The fabrication method is environment friendly and the economic/societal impact is in job creation in the high tech area of microwave products.