COPIOUS ELECTRON-EMISSION FROM TRIGLYCINE SULFATE FERROELECTRIC-CRYSTALS

It is shown experimentally that the electron charge emitted from trigl ycine sulfate pulse ferroelectric cathodes can be as large as 129 mu C /cm(2). This charge considerably exceeds the measured value of spontan eous polarization, P-s=2.8 mu C/cm(2). A bipolar voltage is found to f acilitate the appearance of the electron emission. It is proposed that the source of the emission current is the plasma of uncompleted surfa ce discharges. This plasma is initiated at the metal-vacuum-dielectric triple points both by the field electron emission and the electron em ission stimulated by polarization switching. (C) 1995 American Institu te of Physics.