  Efficient conversion of photons to electrical energy has a wide variety of
applications including imaging, energy harvesting, and infrared detection. The
coupling of electromagnetic radiation to free electron oscillations at a metal
interface results in enhanced electric fields tightly confined to the surface.
Taking advantage of this nonlinear light-matter interaction, this work presents
resonant surfaces optimized for combining electrical and photonic excitations
in order to liberate electrons in a vacuum-channel device for applications
ranging from enhanced photoemission to infrared photodetection.
