Generalized model for ultrafast laser induced electron emission from a metal tip

In this paper, we will present a brief review of the recently developed non-equilibrium heating and time dependent tunneling model to study the dynamic processes in using an ultrafast laser to induce electron emission from a metallic tip ranging from the multiphoton to the optical tunneling regime. Due to the short time scale of the ultrafast laser pulse, the lattice is found to be in a non-equilibrium condition and a single temperature model is no longer valid. The ultrafast laser heating enhances the electron emission through both the multiphoton and optical tunneling processes rather than over-barrier emission due to thermal heating. The paper is focused on the methodology of how these two effects (non-equilibrium heating and time-dependent tunneling) are combined in a self-consistent model. The model shows a smooth transition of the emitted charge as a function of laser field, ranging from the multiphoton emission regime at low laser field to the optical tunneling regime at high laser field. The paper will conclude with some discussion of future work