Reflectance of Graphene Coated Metals: Copper & Nickel

Accelerator technology often requires the presence of a photocathode electron source. Unfortunately, these materials are often very volatile. In order to improve the lifetime of materials without compromising their quantum efficiency, we look at the optical effects of monolayer graphene coatings on known substances. This project looks at the optical effects a monolayer coating of graphene has on copper and nickel surfaces. We analyze the optical effects via theory by developing an effective dielectric medium model, computation by using Density Functional Theory, and experiment with graphene coated copper samples. In addition, we plan to conduct specular reflection for graphene off nickel. These methods allow us to compare the reflectivity and dielectric constant between pure and graphene coated metals over the visible light spectrum.