High performance two-dimensional photon-counting imaging detector based on delay line anode.

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Instrumentation
• Detector Technology

Background:

• Microchannel plate detectors are crucial for detecting particles and radiation.
• Achieving both high spatial resolution and high counting rates simultaneously remains a challenge in detector design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel microchannel plate detector utilizing a direct-collection cross-delay-line (XDL) anode readout.
• To demonstrate a system balancing high spatial resolution with a high counting rate through temporal signal conversion.

Main Methods:

• The detector design incorporates a cross-delay-line (XDL) anode for spatial-to-temporal signal conversion.
• A high-speed time-to-digital converter processes temporal signals for readout.
• Performance metrics including nonlinearity, timing accuracy, spatial resolution, and counting rate were experimentally evaluated.

Main Results:

• The detector achieved a spatial resolution better than 70 μm and a maximum counting rate of 1 MHz.
• Excellent timing precision was demonstrated with single-channel accuracy below 26 ps.
• The XDL encoding system showed good linearity, with differential and integral nonlinearity below 0.22 and 2.29 LSB, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The developed microchannel plate detector effectively integrates high spatial resolution and high counting rates.
• The system's performance makes it suitable for demanding applications like particle detection, beam diagnostics, UV astronomy, and radiation imaging.
• Future enhancements will focus on data transmission and electronic design optimization.