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Mixed Electron Emission From Lead Zirconate-Titanate Ceramics, Weiming Zhang, Wayne Huebner, Stephen E. Sampayan, Mike L. Krogh

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Simultaneous ferroelectric and plasma emission from Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ was observed with only a negative driving pulse applied to the sample, and without an extraction potential on the electron collector. Plasma emission was a strong, inconsistent, and self-destructive process. In addition, a positive ion current was detected. Comparatively, ferroelectric emission was a relatively stable self-emission process, exhibiting no apparent delay time, and no positive ion current. The relationship between the switching and emission current of ferroelectric samples measured simultaneously cannot only be used to determine the existence of ferroelectric emission, but can also give direction to choosing suitable ferroelectric materials for …