Speaker
Description
The precise detection of photon arrival times is a fundamental capability that enables progress in diverse scientific and technological fields, including medical imaging, high-energy physics, and astrophysics. The pursuit of higher resolution, improved efficiency, and reduced noise in these applications drives the ongoing development of advanced photodetectors. Among them, the micro-channel plate photomultiplier tube (MCP-PMT) is a leading technology, recognized for its excellent single-photon sensitivity and ultrafast temporal response, with a rise time of less than 100 ps. It also provides a low transit time spread, typically around 10 ps for multi-photoelectron events and below 50 ps for single photoelectrons. To achieve picosecond-level timing resolution, we have developed a prototype detector named the iPMT (intelligent PhotoMultiplier with aTDC readout), designed for precise measurement of single-photon arrival times using an MCP-PMT. The prototype combines a single-anode MCP-PMT with a boost converter, a voltage divider, and precision timing electronics. A custom ASIC, fabricated in a 55 nm CMOS process and designated FPMROC, is integrated into the design. This chip contains a low-noise preamplifier, a discriminator, and a time-to-digital converter (TDC) capable of measuring both the time of arrival and the time over threshold. In initial tests, the prototype demonstrated a coincidence time resolution of 62 ps, of which one detector contributes 33 ps and the other contributes 53 ps. This indicates its potential for applications requiring high-precision time-resolved measurements. More detailed testing and analysis will be conducted in the coming months.
| Minioral | Yes |
|---|---|
| IEEE Member | No |
| Are you a student? | Yes |