In this Letter, we report on the efficient generation of electrons from metals using multiphoton photoemission by use of nanostructured plasmonic surfaces to trap, localize, and enhance optical fields. The plasmonic surface increases absorption over normal metals by more than an order of magnitude, and due to the localization of fields, this results in over 6 orders of magnitude increase in effective nonlinear quantum yield. We demonstrate that the achieved quantum yield is high enough for use in rf photoinjectors operating as electron sources for MHz repetition rate x-ray free electron lasers. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.076802 PACS numbers: 73.20.Mf, 41.60.Cr, 78.67.Àn, 79.60.Jv High brightness electron sources are at the heart of a new generation of x-ray sources based on the free electron laser (FEL) [1], as well as in energy recovery linac and inverse Compton scattering sources [2]. The source of electrons consists of a photoinjector composed of a laser-driven photocathode in a high gradient electric field produced by a rf cavity. The function of the rf cavity is to provide a field sufficient for acceleration of electrons to relativistic velocity over a small distance, thus minimizing the effects of space charge. Even so, the dense electron beam required for high brightness suffers from a space charge field that chirps and reshapes the electron pulse, increasing beam emittance, and thus reducing the overall brightness [3]. This emittance growth can be avoided if the initial distribution of electrons is pancake shaped [4], with a semicircular transverse intensity profile. In this case, the electron distribution develops under its space charge field from a pancake into a uniformly filled ellipsoidal bunch [5]. This condition, referred to as the blowout regime, requires ultrashort pulses less than 100 fs long and has been successfully demonstrated recently in a high gradient photoinjector [6].The UV light normally used for photoinjector applications is typically produced by nonlinear crystal-based third harmonic generation using light from a Ti:sapphire 800 nm laser. By choosing a metal cathode with a work function close to the photon energy, the resulting electron beam has only a fraction of an electron volt energy spread as required for low emittance applications [7]. However, in this regime metals have low quantum efficiency, typically on the order of 10 À5 , which-combined with the losses in the harmonic generation and UV optics-requires the use of pulse energies as high as 1 mJ in order to generate sufficient charge. It has recently been demonstrated that such high pulse energies in the blowout regime yield a higher effective quantum efficiency if the fundamental 800 nm IR laser wavelength is used in a three-photon photoemission process rather than up-converting to the UV [8]. Additionally, the use of IR-based multiphoton photoemission will significantly simplify the laser system, allowing a more robust and precise beam intensity shaping. The fundamental problem with using IR wavelengths for multipho...