From Event: SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing, 2019
A fast timing MCP-PMT detector has been developed and characterized for LIDAR applications. A field of application for which it is needed to demonstrate the capability to measure photon fluxes in single photon counting mode at low and high rates on one hand, and on the other hand to detect high intensity peaks, containing up to thousands photons within a ns-time window, as it is the case in the response signal of highly reflective surfaces. Based on high quantum efficiency (above 30% in peak) and low dark rates (about 30 Hz/cm2) s-20 photocathodes from our Hi-QE series optimized for 200-550 nm spectral range, our fast MCP-PMT detectors are demonstrating efficient single photon counting from very low rates and up to few GHz for burst pulses. Thanks to the implementation of high linearity MCPs the linear detection range is extended up to several 100 MHz of averaged photon fluxes. The detection of high intensity peak is a challenge for devices optimized for single photon counting mode; here we propose a two-channel detection scheme that allows performing accurate measurements in photon counting mode and in parallel that is enabling the detection and counting intense multi-photon pulses with sub-ns time resolution.
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Dmitry A. Orlov, René Glazenborg, Raquel Ortega, and Emilie Kernen, "From single photon counting to high rate capability with fast timing MCP-PMTs for LIDAR," Proc. SPIE 10978, Advanced Photon Counting Techniques XIII, 109780M (Presented at SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing: April 18, 2019; Published: 13 May 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2519061.