Development of Advanced Photocathodes for LAPPD
Problem Being Addressed – Recently developed Large Area Picosecond Photo-Detectors (LAPPD) are the largest commercially available planar geometry photodetectors based on Microchannel-Plate. LAPPDs combine features not available in any other commercially available Micro-Channel Plate Photomultiplier Tubes (MCP-PMT), including a large active area of up to 400 cm2, ~50 ps temporal resolution, few mm spatial resolution, and advanced microchannel plates (MCPs) offering very high gain, low noise and other benefits. A prime target application for LAPPDs is to detect Cherenkov radiation, with a maximum emission in the ultraviolet spectral range shorter than 300 nm. Developing of new “baseline” LAPPDs featuring photocathodes with inherently high sensitivity (QE approaching 30%) in the spectral range between 200 nm and 300 nm is a prime objective of this Phase II. Higher sensitivity allows the photon counting with exceptional reliability enabling new techniques in HEP, homeland security, scientific detectors for astrophysics, electron microscopy, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, etc. that are not possible with conventional small area MCP-PMTs. How Problem is Being Addressed – This Phase II Funding Opportunity continues R&D started under Phase I (award #DE-SC0019821) to develop UV-enhanced LAPPDs exhibiting high photon sensitivity in a spectral range from 200 nm to 300 nm. In Phase I we successfully developed an advanced photocathode deposition process allowing to achieve QE approaching 30% in the desired spectral range and demonstrated feasibility of production of UV-enhanced LAPPDs. In this Phase II we will a) build a dedicated vacuum system for developing new photocathode materials for the UV spectral range that will allow to further boost up the photocathode sensitivity; b) demonstrate pilot production of a new baseline UV-enhanced LAPPD with high sensitivity in a spectral range between 200 nm and 300 nm. Commercial Applications – Large Area Picosecond Photo-Detectors (LAPPDs) with high QE (and Photon Detection Efficiency) will allow for detecting photons one-by-one with near-perfect reliability. They will enable new techniques in HEP, homeland security (non-proliferation) sensors to screen vehicles and cargo for Special Nuclear Materials (SNMs) and scientific detectors for astrophysics, time-of-flight mass spectrometry and medical imaging products including detectors for positron emission tomography (PET scanning) that are not achievable with conventional small area MCP-PMTs. Key Words – Large-Area Psec Photodetectors, Pico second Timing, LAPPD, Hermetic packaging, Micro-channel plate, MCP, Atomic layer deposition, ALD, PET, Bi-alkali photocathode. Summary for Members of Congress – Large area ultra-high sensitivity photo-sensors with improved spatial and temporal resolution has been a high risk, high payoff development initially undertaken by a consortium of effort that links the US National Laboratories, multiple universities and now being commercialized by Incom Inc. a small businesses (Incom Inc.). The work done under this award, will significantly enhance the performance of these large area photodetectors, and further satisfies the needs for new instrumentation for homeland security (non-proliferation) sensors to screen vehicles and cargo for Special Nuclear Materials (SNMs) and scientific detectors for astrophysics, High Energy Physics, electron microscopy, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, molecular and atomic collision studies, and fluorescence imaging applications in biotechnology and medical imaging products include detectors for positron emission tomography (PET scanning).
- Research Organization:
- Incom, Inc., Charlton, MA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0019821
- OSTI ID:
- 1971327
- Type / Phase:
- SBIR (Phase IIA)
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-INCOM-SC0019821
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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