In the present invention, a cathode assembly for an X-ray tube is provided including a cathode cup, a pair of emitters disposed within the cup and each configured to emit an electron beam therefrom and an electrode spaced from the pair of emitters and configured to affect the shape and/or intensity of the electron beams emitted by the pair of emitters. The electrode includes a rod extending across a central aperture defined within the electrode that enables the electrode to grid or focus the electron beam or beams emitted from the emitters using a bias voltage between +10 kV and −10 kV.