Ferroelectric plasma sources and their applications

We review our experimental studies of ferroelectric plasma sources and their applications. Using various diagnostics, it was shown that the source of the charged particle emission from the ferroelectric is surface plasma. This plasma is formed as a result of an incomplete discharge on the surface of the ferroelectric sample. The process of the plasma formation is accompanied by desorption of neutrals from the ferroelectric surface. It was shown that the parameters of the plasma and the neutral flow strongly depend on the polarization state of the ferroelectric material and on the parameters of the driving pulse. The lifetime of ferroelectric plasma sources was also studied. Electron beams with current amplitude of a few kiloamperes were generated with rep-rate up to 10 Hz under the application of accelerating pulses with amplitudes of 25-250 kV. Operation of the electron diode with and without plasma prefilling was demonstrated. Data concerning the uniformity of the extracted electron beam and the potential distribution in the diode are presented. In addition, we present data concerning an enhanced emission mode of the ferroelectric cathode and its application as a promising source of heavy ions. Results of applications of ferroelectric plasma sources in low-pressure high-current hollow-cathode discharge, as cathodes in relativistic magnetrons, as high-current switches and for generation of high-frequency modulated electron beams are presented as well.