journal article·2026-06-01Open access

A capacitance-based approach for determining the space-charge limited current density and electric potential in a crossed-field gap

Allen L. Garner, Jack K. Wright, N. R. Sree Harsha

AIP Advances· Volume 16· Issue 6

Abstract

Introducing a magnetic field perpendicular to the electric field in a diode turns electrons as they cross the gap and alters the electric potential’s spatial profile and the space-charge limited current density (SCLCD) compared to a nonmagnetic diode. In this paper, we apply gap capacitance to crossed-field gaps with magnetic fields below and above the Hull cutoff magnetic field BH for magnetic insulation to assess these properties. Combining capacitance and the force law gives the same relationship for the limiting current for BBH as the exact approach that extremizes the current density, while simplifying the mathematics required. Although the crossed-field geometry prohibited a direct solution for the electric field E as a function of position across the gap x for B
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Quantum and electron transport phenomena · Magnetic properties of thin films · Semiconductor Quantum Structures and Devices

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

School of Nuclear Engineering, Purdue University 1 , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907,

Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University 2 , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907,

Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University 3 , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907,

School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University 4 , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907,

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester 5 , Rochester, New York 14627,

Funding

Air Force Office of Scientific Research

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