Elementary framework for cold field emission: Extension to non-planar emitter tip geometries

The elementary framework for cold field emission is updated to treat emission from non-planar emitting surfaces of quantum-confined field electron emitters. The framework is applied to emission from the curved surface of a cylindrical nanowire, which results in an oscillatory emitted current density (ECD) that approaches the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) ECD in the limit of large emitter radius. As a function of the emitter dimensions, the ECD from the cylindrical nanowire has higher, narrower peaks than planar emitters, and secondary oscillations, from the irregular distribution of energy levels.