V doped BaSnO3 nanocubes as a Field emitting material: Experimental and theoretical investigation

Abstract In search of a multipurpose perovskite system pure and vanadium doped BaSnO3 nanocubes were prepared using facile solid-state reaction method. Theoretical simulation via ANSYS Maxwell software was employed to predict whether doping in nano-BaSnO3 can lead to cold electron emission from the samples. The work function, a crucial factor for potential cold cathodes, was determined using density functional theory and the outcome was used to calculate the field enhancement factor. Encouraged by theoretical outcome, experimental investigation for field emission capability of the samples was carried out in a high vacuum chamber. Several factors like impurity doping, emitter dimension, decrement of work function were identified as tuning factors. The emission current density and the field enhancement factor of 5% doped sample were enhanced ∼3 and 4.3 times respectively compared to the pure one with 30% reduction of the turn on field. The first ever investigation of field emission properties of pure and doped BaSnO3 in this work, showed that the novel perovskite can serve as an environment-friendly cold cathodes in field emission display unit, electron microscopes etc. along with its traditional application as solar energy harvesting material.