Ultrafast Field-Emission Electron Sources Based on Nanomaterials

The search for electron sources with simultaneous optimal spatial and temporal resolution has become an area of intense activity for a wide variety of applications in the emerging fields of lightwave electronics and attosecond science. Most recently, increasing efforts are focused on the investigation of ultrafast field-emission phenomena of nanomaterials, which not only are fascinating from a fundamental scientific point of view, but also are of interest for a range of potential applications. Here, the current state-of-the-art in ultrafast field-emission, particularly sub-optical-cycle field emission, based on various nanostructures (e.g., metallic nanotips, carbon nanotubes) is reviewed. A number of promising nanomaterials and possible future research directions are also established.