Improvement of the Stability of X-Ray Emission by Thermal Excitation of a Pyroelectric Single Crystal

X-ray emission using pyroelectric crystals is intermittent, and has low intensity and stability. One of the factors for low stability is related to creeping discharge, due to the accumulation of surface electric charges that change in response to the temperature. The time dependence of the net amount of electric charge was investigated by changing the cycle period of the crystal temperature. The stability of the X-ray emission is demonstrated to be strongly dependent on the temperature cycle period.