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It has been recently proposed that the production of negative ions with cesium sputter ion sources could be enhanced by laser-assisted resonant ion pair production. We have tested this hypothesis by measuring the effect of pulsed diode lasers at various wavelengths on the O − and Al − beam current produced from Al 2 O 3 cathode of a cesium sputter ion source. The experimental results provide evidence for the existence of a wavelength-dependent photo-assisted enhancement of negative ion currents but cast doubt on its alleged resonant nature as the effect is observed for both O − and Al − ions at laser energies above a certain threshold. The beam current transients observed during the laser pulses suggest that the magnitude and longevity of the beam current enhancement depends on the cesium balance on the cathode surface. It is shown that the ions produced by the laser exposure originate from slightly different potential than the surface produced ions, which allows us to constrain the underlying physical mechanisms. It is concluded that the photo-assisted negative ion production could be of practical importance as it can more than double the extracted beam current under certain operational settings of the cesium sputter ion source. We discuss experiments designed to confirm or dispute the relevance of the ion pair production for negative ion production with cesium sputter ion sources and the possibility of ion pair production explaining the beneficial effect of xenon admixture on the negative ion yield of an RF-driven H − ion source.

An all‐solid‐state battery is a secondary battery that is charged and discharged by the transport of lithium ions between positive and negative electrodes. To fully realize the significant benefits of this battery technology, for example, higher energy densities, faster charging times, and safer operation, it is essential to understand how lithium ions are transported and distributed in the battery during operation. However, as the third lightest element, methods for quantitatively analyzing lithium during operation of an all‐solid‐state device are limited such that real‐time tracking of lithium transport has not yet been demonstrated. Here, the authors report that the transport of lithium ions in an all‐solid‐state battery is quantitatively tracked in near real time by utilizing a high‐intensity thermal neutron source and lithium‐6 as a tracer in a thermal neutron‐induced nuclear reaction. Furthermore, the authors show that the lithium‐ion migration mechanism and pathway through the solid electrolyte can be determined by in‐operando tracking. From these results, the authors suggest that the development of all‐solid‐state batteries has entered a phase where further advances can be carried out while understanding the transport of lithium ions in the batteries.

ALD of aluminum ruthenate and platinum ruthenate are achieved by combining a metalorganic precursor with RuO4 as oxidizing agent and Ru source.