Reduction of spurious background peaks in electron spectrometers

TLDR: In this article, the authors compared Ermer and Lifson's model with the most rational general CFF available, and found that the most significant discrepancies found to occur are those for certain stretch-stretch couplings assumed to be zero in the CFF, but shown to be appreciable by quantum calculation.

Abstract: Electron spectrometers working with electrostatic deflection are characterized by a typical background structure. Experimental investigations and model calculations for a 127° analyzer show that the major part of this background is caused by specular reflections of the electrons from the deflection plates towards the exit slits. The background is reduced by a factor ≳10 when the deflection plates are appropriately corrugated. In a comparison with the most rational general CFF available, that of Ermer and Lifson, the most significant discrepancies found to occur are those for certain stretch–bend couplings assumed to be zero in the CFF, but shown to be appreciable by quantum calculation. It is observed that these couplings, but not the stretch–stretch couplings, are well accounted for by a steric interaction model. The ab initio cubic constants examined display the same pattern of conformity with a steric model. Bend–bend–bend and bend–bend–stretch but not all stretch–stretch–stretch interactions agree wit...