Fast active-current control with a push-up voltage source for carbon nanotube field-emission X-ray tubes

The advanced active-current control with a push-up voltage source is proposed for the fast operation of a carbon nanotube (CNT) field-emission X-ray tube while maintaining the advantages of improved stability and reliability. The push-up voltage source, composed of a resistor and a voltage supply, was found to reduce the response time of CNT X-ray tubes down to sub-microsecond.