The invention relates to a device (20) for producing an electron beam (4), which comprises a hot cathode (1), a cathode electrode (2), an anode electrode (3) having an opening (6) through which an electron beam (4) produced by the device can pass, wherein during the operation of the device (20) a voltage for accelerating the electrons exiting from the hot cathode (1) is applied between the cathode electrode (2) and the anode electrode (3), and further comprising deflection means that can deflect the electron beam (4) that has passed through the opening of the anode electrode (3), wherein the deflection means comprise at least one deflection electrode (8, 12), which can reflect the electron beam (4) and/or which comprises a deflection surface (9) that is inclined towards the propagation direction of the electron beam (4).

The invention relates to a device (20) for producing an electron beam (4), which comprises a hot cathode (1), a cathode electrode (2), an anode electrode (3) having an opening (6) through which an electron beam (4) produced by the device can pass, wherein during the operation of the device (20) a voltage for accelerating the electrons exiting from the hot cathode (1) is applied between the cathode electrode (2) and the anode electrode (3), and further comprising deflection means that can deflect the electron beam (4) that has passed through the opening of the anode electrode (3), wherein the deflection means comprise at least one deflection electrode (8, 12), which can reflect the electron beam (4) and/or which comprises a deflection surface (9) that is inclined towards the propagation direction of the electron beam (4).

A method for controlling a density distribution of electrons provided by an electron source for use in hard X-ray, soft X-ray and/or extreme ultraviolet generation, the method comprising generating a plurality of electrons from a pattern of ultracold excited atoms using an ionization laser inside a cavity, wherein the electrons have a density distribution determined by at least one of the patterns of excited atoms and the ionization laser, and accelerating the electrons out of the cavity using a non-static acceleration profile, wherein the acceleration profile controls the density distribution of the electrons as they exit the cavity.