Fast microchannel plate detector for particles
Citation
"Fast microchannel plate detector for particles," by Peter Wurz and Lukas Gubler, was published in the journal Review of Scientific Instruments, Volume 67, in 1996. The article can be identified by the digital object identifier "S0034-6748(96)02805-X".
Keywords
- Microchannel plate (MCP) detector
- Time response
- Rise time
- Pulse width
- Time-of-flight (TOF)
- Alpha particle source
- Channel plates
- Pore size
- Impedance matching
- Signal analysis
- Deconvolution
Brief
A new microchannel plate (MCP) detector for particles boasts a faster time response than commercially available MCPs, achieving a rise time of 300 ps and a pulse width of 520 ps when tested with an alpha particle source.
Summary
This article presents a novel design for a fast microchannel plate (MCP) detector for particles with an emphasis on achieving superior timing capabilities. The design prioritizes a compact size and utilizes a 50V impedance-matched transition line from the anode to the cable connector for optimal signal transmission and minimal reflections. The study examines the impact of channel plate pore size on timing performance, demonstrating that smaller pore sizes result in faster rise times and shorter pulse widths.
This new MCP detector design offers several improvements over commercially available options:
- Smaller size: This is particularly beneficial for applications with space constraints.
- Faster timing: The detector achieveda rise time of 300 ps and a pulse width of 520 ps when using channel plates with 10mm pores.
- Larger active area: This allows for greater sensitivity due to larger geometric factors in the particle entrance system.
The authors conducted measurements in a vacuum chamber using an alpha particle source to illuminate the detector. Signal analysis, including deconvolution with the oscilloscope response function, was performed to accurately assess the detector's performance. The study found that smaller pore sizes correlated with faster rise times and shorter pulse widths. The researchers concluded that the new design could achieve a total time resolution of better than 100 ps for single-particle detection.