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Invited article: a test-facility for large-area microchannel plate detector assemblies using a pulsed sub-picosecond
Bernhard Adams1, Matthieu Chollet, Andrey Elagin
1Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave., Lemont, Illinois 60439, USA.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|July 5, 2013
Summary
The Large Area Picosecond Photodetector Collaboration is creating advanced photodetectors using Micro-Channel Plates (MCPs) for high-precision timing and spatial resolution. This facility enables detailed performance characterization of these crucial components.
Area of Science:
- High-energy physics instrumentation
- Advanced detector technology
- Photonics and optoelectronics
Background:
- Developing large-area photodetectors with picosecond-level time resolution and sub-millimeter spatial resolution is critical for next-generation scientific experiments.
- Micro-Channel Plates (MCPs) coated with atomic layer deposition offer a promising technology for achieving these demanding performance metrics.
- Existing characterization facilities may not fully support the evaluation of large-area MCP-based photodetector systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a dedicated facility for comprehensive performance characterization of large-area Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) based photodetectors.
- To evaluate various MCP configurations and anode structures for optimal detector system performance.
- To demonstrate the capability of the facility through typical results and performance metrics.
Main Methods:
- Assembly of a specialized testing facility at Argonne National Laboratory.
- Utilizing a pulsed Ti:Sapphire laser (≈100 fs pulse duration) with a 2D scanning optical system.
- Employing a high-speed data acquisition system capable of reading out 60 channels at over 10 GS/s.
- Testing bare MCP plates and complete photodetector systems in vacuum chambers.
Main Results:
- Demonstration of a versatile testing facility for large-area photodetectors.
- Characterization of MCP performance with time resolution <~10 ps and space resolution <~1 mm.
- Validation of detector calibration, data acquisition, and analysis tools.
- Presentation of typical results showcasing the facility's capabilities.
Conclusions:
- The developed facility is well-equipped to characterize large-area MCP photodetectors for demanding applications.
- The facility supports the development and optimization of advanced photodetector systems.
- This work contributes to the advancement of high-resolution timing and spatial detectors for scientific research.
