Electron ion emission from the plasma formed on the surface of ferroelectrics. II. Studies of electron diode operation with a ferroelectric plasma cathode

We present experimental results of electron diode operation with an active plasma cathode. The plasma was formed by a noncomplete discharge on the surface of different unpoled ferroelectric samples having the form of disks or tubes made of BaTiO3 or Pb(Zr, Ti)O-3. To produce the discharge, a positive or a negative driving pulse was applied to the front or to the rear electrode of the sample. We studied the operation of planar and coaxial electron diodes under the application of an accelerating high-voltage pulse less than or equal to 45 kV with repetition rate less than or equal to 5 Hz or less than or equal to 250 kV in a single-mode operation. Electron beams with a current density of several hundreds of A/cm(2) and a time duration of several hundreds of ns were generated. It was shown that the parameters of the electron beam as well as the operation of the electron diode depend strongly on the method of the plasma formation and the time delay between the beginning of the plasma formation and the application of the high-voltage pulse. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)01012-9].