Slicing Newton spheres with a two-camera 3D imaging system

Area of Science:

• Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Particle Detection Technology
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) ion momentum imaging is crucial for understanding atomic and molecular dynamics.
• Traditional methods can be complex and require specialized equipment.
• Improving time-of-flight (TOF) measurements enhances imaging resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a simplified technique for 3D ion momentum imaging.
• To improve the time resolution of ion detection systems.
• To enable more precise measurements in ion-based experiments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) cameras alongside a microchannel plate (MCP)/phosphor screen detector.
• Timed the CMOS cameras to measure luminescence decay following ion impacts.
• Extracted ion time-of-flight (TOF) from the luminescence decay profile.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated a simple approach for 3D ion momentum imaging.
• Achieved a time resolution better than 10 nanoseconds (ns).
• Identified camera jitter as the primary limitation, with potential for sub-5 ns resolution.

Conclusions:

• The presented method offers a practical and accessible way to perform 3D ion momentum imaging.
• The technique shows promise for enhanced precision in ion detection.
• Further improvements in camera synchronization can significantly boost time resolution.