On the Reflection of Electrons by Metallic Crystals

Abstract

This paper gives the results of some calculations of the reflection coefficient for electrons incident normally on a plane face of a metallic crystal. The physical situation is treated as being one-dimensional; and it is assumed that the potential energy of an electron is a sinusoidal function of distance inside the crystal, and obeys the classical image force law outside the crystal. The reflection coefficient is computed as a function of the energy of the incident electrons, over the range from 0 to 20 electron volts, for a variety of values of the parameters which define the model of the crystal.