A new simple algorithm for space charge limited emission

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel, efficient algorithm for modeling space charge limited emission that improves computational performance and accuracy in high power electronic device simulations.

Contribution

The paper presents a simple, self-consistent algorithm based on electric field values, suitable for electromagnetic and parallel PIC implementations, with validation through benchmarks and a 3D application.

Findings

Algorithm effectively models space charge limited emission.

Validated against theoretical and computational benchmarks.

Demonstrated in 3D high power microwave generation.

Abstract

Many high power electronic devices operate in a regime where the current they draw is limited by the self-fields of the particles. This space-charge-limited current poses particular challenges for numerical modeling where common techniques like over-emission or Gauss Law are computationally inefficient or produce nonphysical effects. In this paper we show an algorithm using the value of the electric field in front of the surface instead of attempting to zero the field at the surface, making the algorithm particularly well suited to both electromagnetic and parallel implementations of the PIC algorithm. We show how the algorithm is self-consistent within the framework of finite difference (for both electrostatics and electromagnetics). We show several 1D and 2D benchmarks against both theory and previous computational results. Finally we show application in 3D to high power microwave generation in a 13 GHz magnetically insulated line oscillator.