Device and method for electron emission and device including such an electron emission system

A field effect electron emission device comprising:

• a vacuum chamber including a tip comprising one end and forming a cold cathode, an extracting anode, components adapted for generating a potential difference between the tip and the anode;
• an electromagnetic wave source outside the chamber;
• a system for forwarding the electromagnetic wave emitted by the electromagnetic wave source from the outside to the inside of the chamber as far as the vicinity of the tip;
• a system for focusing the electromagnetic wave, laid out inside the chamber;
• and
• a system for aligning the electromagnetic wave, laid out outside the chamber and adapted so as to allow alignment of the electromagnetic wave focused by the focusing system on the end of the tip,
• wherein the system for focusing the electromagnetic wave comprises a plane mirror and a parabolic or spherical mirror positioned on either side of the tip, each mirror being connected to the same electric potential as the tip.

A field effect electron emission device comprising:

• a vacuum chamber including a tip comprising one end and forming a cold cathode, an extracting anode, components adapted for generating a potential difference between the tip and the anode;
• an electromagnetic wave source outside the chamber;
• a system for forwarding the electromagnetic wave emitted by the electromagnetic wave source from the outside to the inside of the chamber as far as the vicinity of the tip;
• a system for focusing the electromagnetic wave, laid out inside the chamber;
• and
• a system for aligning the electromagnetic wave, laid out outside the chamber and adapted so as to allow alignment of the electromagnetic wave focused by the focusing system on the end of the tip,
• wherein the alignment system is adapted for achieving a scan of the focused electromagnetic wave by at least 0.5 mm in each of the three dimensions around the tip.