Investigation on Ion extraction processes in M-Type electrode configuration and the influence of top electrode

Abstract

Abstract In the realm of ion extraction from photoplasma, the design of electrode configuration exerts a significant influence over-extraction efficiency by tailoring the vacuum gap and electric potential distribution. Over time, various electrode configurations have been explored, including parallel-plate, wire-type, M-type, and Π-type designs. Notably, the M-type configuration has shorter ion extraction times. In the present study, a comprehensive investigation of the ion extraction process with the M-Type setup is performed using a 2D2v-electrostatic Particle-in-Cell simulation. The study focuses on the spatiotemporal evolution of photoplasma, the formation of the plasma sheath, and the spatial distribution of electric potential. Subsequently, a series of computational experiments have been conducted by systematically altering the size of the top electrode in the M-type configuration, effectively transforming it into wire-type and Π-type. The objective of these experiments is to explore the impact of the top electrode on ion extraction. The obtained simulation results report a significant finding: the formation of a virtual anode between the cathodes. This distinct phenomenon substantially contributes to an exceptional level of efficiency, exceeding 90%, among different simulated configurations. Furthermore, it also reports an approximate 95% collection efficiency with minimum collection time with an M-type configuration over the Π-type electrode configuration.