Electron Emission And Beam Generation Using Ferroelectric Cathodes (electron Beam Generation, Lead Lanthanum Zicronate Titanate, High Power Traveling Wave Tube Amplfier)

In 1989, researchers at CERN published the discovery of significant electron emission (1&ndash; 100 A/cm<super>2</super>) from Lead- Lanthanum-Zirconate-Titanate (PLZT). The publication of these results led to international interest in ferroelectric cathodes studies for use in pulsed power devices. At Cornell University in 1991, experiments with Lead-Zirconate-Titanate (PZT) compositions were begun to study the feasibility of using this ferroelectric material as a cathode in the electron gun section of High Power Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier Experiments. Current-voltage characteristics were documented for diode voltages ranging from 50&ndash; 500,000 V with anode cathode gaps of.5&ndash; 6 cm. A linear current-voltage relation was found for voltages less than 50 kV. For diode voltages &ge; 200 kV, a typical Child-Langmuir V<super>3/2</super> dependence was observed...