Experimental energy resolution of a paracentric hemispherical deflector analyzer for different entry positions and bias

A specially designed hemispherical deflector analyzer (HDA) with 5-element input lens having a movable entry position R0 suitable for electron energy analysis in atomic collisions was constructed and tested. The energy resolution of the HDA was experimentally determined for three different entry positions R0= 84, 100, 112 mm as a function of the nominal entry potential V(R0) under pre-retardation conditions. The resolution for the (conventional) entry at the mean radius R0= 100 mm was found to be a factor of 1.6-2 times worse than the resolution for the two (paracentric) positions R0= 84 and 112 mm at particular values of V(R0). These results provide the first experimental verification and a proof of principle of the utility of such a paracentric HDA, while demonstrating its advantages over the conventional HDA: greater dispersion with reduced angular aberrations resulting in better energy resolution without the use of any additional fringing field correction electrodes. Supporting simulations of the entire lens plus HDA spectrometer are also provided and mostly found to be within 20%–30% of experimental values. The paracentric HDA is expected to provide a lower cost and/or more compact alternative to the conventional HDA particularly useful in modern applications utilizing a position sensitive detector.