Operation of ferroelectric plasma cathodes in magnetic field

Summary form only given. The phenomenon of strong ferroelectric emission has been studied widely in many laboratories all around the world. The application of a driving pulse of /spl sim/ 1 kV between solid rear and patterned front electrodes which cover a sample of a ferroelectric ceramic results in electron emission from the side of the front electrode. The current density of this electron emission varies from tens to hundreds A/cm/sup 2/. Ferroelectric cathodes can operate with a repetition rate up to several MHz without significant vacuum deterioration. In plasma mode the strong electron emission occurs from surface discharge plasma formed on the ceramic surface near the edges of the front electrode pattern. This plasma has a density of /spl sim/10/sup 12/ cm/sup -3/, an electron temperature of 2-3 eV, and consists mostly from the material of the ferroelectric ceramics and the front electrode. Although ferroelectric plasma cathodes were used successfully in several experimental setups with applied magnetic field, particularly in relativistic magnetrons, the behavior of the ferroelectric plasma cathodes in the magnetic field and the dependence of the plasma parameters on the magnetic field strength were not studied yet. In the present work the results of experimental investigations of the operation of planar ferroelectric plasma cathodes in the uniform magnetic field are presented. It is shown the ferroelectric plasma cathodes can be successfully used in the magnetic field up to several kGs without substantial deterioration of the emissive properties. The dependence of plasma parameters on the applied magnetic field is reported.