Xenon lamp (xenon flash lamp) is a light source based on the principle of high-voltage gas discharge. The performance of its electrode material directly affects the luminous efficiency, starting speed and service life of the lamp tube. Barium tungsten electrode has become a widely used electrode material in xenon lamps due to its unique physical and chemical properties.

Gas discharge lamps are lighting devices that generate light through gas discharge, widely used in fluorescent lamps, high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps (such as sodium lamps, mercury lamps, and metal halide lamps), and specialized light sources. One of their core components is the electrode, with barium tungsten electrodes frequently employed in certain gas discharge lamps due to their superior performance.

Barium tungsten electrode is an important innovation of cathode material in X-ray tube, which is composed of tungsten matrix and barium compound. Tungsten provides a high melting point of 3422°C and excellent corrosion resistance, while the addition of barium reduces the work function to 1.6 eV (pure tungsten is 4.5 eV), making electrons easier to emit, and the current density reaches 10 A/cm², which significantly improves the efficiency of thermal electron emission.

The barium tungsten electrode combines the high-temperature resistance of tungsten with the low work function of barium, making it an efficient and stable cathode material for vacuum tubes. Its balance of electron emission efficiency, longevity, and application versatility has led to its widespread use in various high-performance vacuum tube devices.