  This technical note relates to the theory of cold field electron emission
(CFE). It starts by suggesting that, to emphasize common properties in relation
to CFE theory, the term 'Lauritsen plot' could be used to describe all
graphical plots made with the reciprocal of barrier field (or the reciprocal of
a quantity proportional to barrier field) on the horizontal axis. It then
argues that Lauritsen plots related to barrier strength (G) and transmission
probability (D) could play a useful role in discussion of CFE theory. Such
plots would supplement conventional Fowler-Nordheim (FN) plots. All these plots
would be regarded as particular types of Lauritsen plot. The Lauritsen plots of
-G and lnD can be used to illustrate how basic aspects of FN tunnelling theory
are influenced by the mathematical form of the tunnelling barrier. These, in
turn, influence local emission current density and emission current.
Illustrative applications used in this note relate to the well-known exact
triangular and Schottky-Nordheim barriers, and to the Coulomb barrier (i.e.,
the electrostatic component of the electron potential energy barrier outside a
model spherical emitter). For the Coulomb barrier, a good analytical series
approximation has been found for the barrier-form correction factor; this can
be used to predict the existence (and to some extent the properties) of related
curvature in FN plots.
