High-resolution reflecting time-of-flight momentum and energy mapping system

A new system to map electron momentum and energy is proposed. A reflecting electrode is introduced into a time-of-flight (TOF) system whose decelerating electric field sends all the electrons back to a position-sensitive detector close to but behind the source of the electrons. The longer flying distance that results makes it possible to significantly improve the energy-resolved performance, especially in the higher energy region. The dependence of the new TOF system on its characteristic parameters is analyzed, along with its application to attosecond streak cameras. Experimental results verified a relative energy resolution better than 0.2 eV for 22 eV electrons and also revealed the availability of the improved relative energy resolution smaller than 1.0% for electron energy ranging from 30 to 40 eV.