Pulsating mode in X-ray generators based on the SBN-61 crystal

Abstract

Currently, pyroelectric crystals are used in the development of new portable sources of X-ray and neutron radiation. Typically, X-rays are produced when pyroelectric crystals are heated or cooled. In this work, in an X-ray generator based on a ferroelectric crystal of barium-strontium niobate Sr_0.61Ba_0.39Nb₂O₆, the pulsations of the electron and X-ray flux were registered at a constant temperature when the gas pressure increased in the range 2·10⁻²–10⁻¹ Torr. The electron flux had the shape of a cross in the crystal plane. The flash duration did not exceed 0.04 seconds. The observed effect is explained by the movement of domain boundaries on the depolarized crystal face in vacuum, resulting in a large surface charge and, accordingly, an electric potential, leading to the formation of a pulsed electron flux.

Keywords:

• Relaxor ferroelectrics
• ferroelectric domains
• electron flux

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Tatiana Andrianova for the conversion and processing of video files.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Synchrotron and Neutron Research and Research Infrastructure for 2019–2027 (Russian Federation), Grant of Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation No. 075-15-2021-1353.