• S. Lederer, S. Schreiber
  DESY, Hamburg
• P.M. Michelato, L. Monaco, C. Pagani, D. Sertore
  INFN/LASA, Segrate (MI)
• R. Ovsyannikov, M. Sperling, A. Vollmer
  BESSY GmbH, Berlin
• F. Stephan
  DESY Zeuthen, Zeuthen

Caesium telluride (Cs2Te) photocathodes are used as sources for electron beams because of their high quantum efficiency (QE) and their ability to release high peak current electron bunches in a high gradient RF-gun. A rapid unexpected decrease of the initial QE, from 10% to values below 0.5% in only a few weeks of operation, was observed. In XPS measurements we identify a peak of Fluorine possibly originating from Teflon. After identification and removal of this specific contaminant, the life time of the cathodes increased to several months. In addition we have investigated the response of fully functional photocathodes to extensive usage, bad vacuum conditions, and oxidation by means of XPS measurements. The experiments - carried out at the ISISS and the PM3 beam lines at the synchrotron facility BESSY – compare the chemical composition and electronic structure of freshly prepared, contaminated, used, and oxidised Cs2Te cathodes.