Eddy current system for use with electrically-insulative structures and methods for inductively heating or inductively inspecting

A method of inductively heating a volume of an electrically-insulative structure, the method comprising:

• sending, by an ion beam source positioned relative to a surface of the structure, an ion beam into the structure to form a conductive region in a volume of the structure at a depth corresponding to a Bragg peak of the ion beam;
• and
• applying a magnetic field from a magnetic field source to the conductive region to induce eddy currents in the structure and to inductively heat the volume of the structure, wherein the magnetic field source is positioned relative to the surface of the structure or another surface of the structure.

An eddy current system for inspection or heating of a structure formed of an electrically-insulative material, the eddy current system comprising:

• an ion beam source positioned relative to a surface of the structure and configured to generate an ion beam that is sent into the structure at a depth corresponding to a Bragg peak of the ion beam, wherein the ion beam forms a conductive region at the depth;
• and
• a magnetic field source positioned relative to the surface of the structure or another surface of the structure, wherein the magnetic field source includes at least one of variable output intensity or variable output orientation, and wherein the magnetic field source is configured to generate a magnetic field to be applied to the conductive region to induce eddy currents in the structure.