Microchannel Plate Research Articles

Operation of Photoeelectron Spectrometers for Non-Invasive Photon Diagnostics at the European X-Ray Free Electron Laser

Angle-resolved photoelectron spectrometers with microchannel plate detectors and fast digitizer electronics are versatile and powerful devices for providing non-invasive single-shot photon diagnostics at a MHz repetition rate X-ray free-electron lasers. In this contribution, we demonstrate and characterize the performance of our two operational photoelectron spectrometers for the application of hard X-rays and soft X-rays as well as new automation tools and online data analysis that enable continuous support for machine operators and instrument scientists. Customized software has been developed for the real-time monitoring of photon beam polarization and spectral distribution both in single-color and two-color operation. Hard X-ray operation imposes specific design challenges due to poor photoionization cross-sections and very high photoelectron velocities. Furthermore, recent advancements in machine learning enable resolution enhancement by training the photoelectron spectrometer together with an invasive high-resolution spectrometer, which generates a response function model.

Dilation framing camera with the dual-pulse excitation technique

In an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) ultrafast diagnostic system that is based on electron beam time-dilation, an ultrafast electrical pulse is used to excite a microstrip photocathode (PC), which generates a varying PC voltage to obtain a photoelectron velocity that varies with emission time. The photoelectron beam achieves time-dilation through the drift process and is then detected by a time-resolved sensor, thereby increasing the temporal resolution of the diagnostic system. A pulse time-dilation diagnostic system is simulated, while the sensor is a gated microchannel plate (MCP) detector with a temporal resolution of 100 ps and an excitation pulse on a PC with a slope of 3 V/ps; the diagnostic system achieves a temporal resolution of 11.12 ps. However, the excitation pulse creates a voltage difference across the PC. A voltage difference of 900 V can be acquired for a PC length of 60 mm, which yields a nonuniform spatial resolution ranging from 30.4 µm to approximately 3000 µm. Furthermore, the voltage difference across the PC also limits the frame size to 2.2 mm along the pulse propagation direction according to the simulation results. To achieve a uniform spatial resolution and a larger frame size, a dual-pulse excitation technique on a PC is presented, which is the technique to symmetrically apply voltage pulses at both ends of the PC microstrip. The theoretical results show that this technique will improve the uniformity of the PC voltage spatial distribution. When the PC pulse slope is 3 V/ps and the dual-pulse excitation technique is employed, the diagnostic system has a temporal resolution of 5.91 ps and a uniform spatial resolution of 30.4 µm. Furthermore, the frame size along the pulse propagation direction is improved to the effective length of the microstrip PC.

Equivalent Mechanical Model of a Microchannel Plate

Abstract The microchannel plate (MCP) is an electron multiplier with millions of micro through-holes that must withstand strong vibrations and enormous shocks in spaceborne detectors. To ensure the reliability and robustness of the MCP in space applications, we proposed an equivalent mechanical model of the MCP to investigate its mechanical properties, since the direct creation of the finite element model using the finite element method (FEM) is not feasible. Then, we developed a test system to verify the effectiveness of the equivalent mechanical model. The results show that the error of harmonic response analysis and the test result is less than 10 %, which is acceptable. Finally, we conducted parametric studies of the MCPs and obtained the equivalent mechanical model of the MCPs with different geometric parameters. This study will help researchers to optimize the MCP for aerospace-grade detectors.

Effect of electron scattering of microchannel plates on the resolution and halo size of UV image intensifier

Abstract Aiming at the problem that the current theoretical model for calculating the resolution of UV(ultraviolet) low-light level image intensifier is not perfect enough to give the optimization conditions directly, the effects of parameters such as the thickness of anti-ion feedback film, MCP(microchannel plate) bevel angle, the depth of the rear electrode and the length-diameter ratio of the channel plate on the photoelectron transport characteristics of UV low-light level image intensifier are analyzed through systematic theoretical research. Experimental results show that optimizing these parameters can significantly improve the performance of the low-light image intensifier. Specifically, when the thickness of the anti-ion feedback film is 4nm, the bevel angle is 8°, the length-diameter ratio is 50, and the back-end electrode is deepened to 10μm, the theoretical image quality of the UV low-light image intensifier reaches a better level. This study has theoretical guidance significance for the development of high-resolution ultraviolet image intensifiers in the field of optoelectronic imaging, and also plays a key role in improving angular resolution in the application of sun blind ultraviolet warning.

Development of a low energy loss micro-channel plate based position-sensitive detector for the Rare Radio-Isotope Ring

A position-sensitive micro-channel plate type detector has been developed for use in the Rare Radio-Isotope Ring at RIKEN, Japan. It uses secondary electrons emitted from a conversion foil and deflected at 90° to create a position signal. Design constraints included operation in a high-vacuum, a large area to cover the ring acceptance and low beam interaction to reduce energy loss. It must achieve a precision sufficient to measure the in-ring dispersion and perform position diagnostics for tuning the injection. Reducing the time-of-flight of secondary electrons was principal in improving resolution as it reduces their final gaussian spread. This was implemented by compacting the geometry of the detector and raising the acceleration potential. Electric field homogeneity was also improved by decreasing the electrostatic grid wire pitch from 2 mm to 1 mm. Offline tests with alpha sources and online tests with a 200 MeV/u 84Kr beam were conducted, reaching a final average position resolution of σ=1.3 mm. This is sufficient for conducting beam diagnostics in the storage ring.

Simultaneous co-axial multi-modal inspection using a laser driven x-ray and neutron source.

Laser-plasma interactions have been demonstrated to produce bright sources of energetic radiation including ions, electrons, photons across the electro-magnetic spectrum, and neutrons. Combinations of species can significantly increase information from non-destructive imaging. Here we demonstrate single-shot co-axial radiography with both x-ray and fast-neutron radiation from a laser-driven source using a pair of gated microchannel plate photomultiplier tube channels and a fast scintillator medium. The outlined system demonstrates recovery full-width-half-maximum of (18 ± 3) ns, which is sufficient to isolate x-rays from neutrons up to (72 ± 20) MeV and could be isolated only a short distance (2m) from the target.

Hydrogen reduction and baking process of Pb-silicate microchannel plate and their performance studies

Microchannel plate (MCP) are honeycomb structures consisting of numerous parallel, hollow micro glass fiber channels renowned for their exceptional secondary electron multiplication. This paper investigates changes in MCP properties under hydrogen reduction temperatures ranging from 300 °C to 500 °C. The findings reveal that higher temperatures reduce surface metal oxides, which then accumulate within and darken the microchannels, affecting electron transport. Bulk resistance decreases before increasing, while gain increases and then decreases. At 350 °C, lead oxide begins to reduce to its conductive state, enhancing electron multiplication. However, increased temperatures cause clustering and roughening of the inner channel walls, which diminishes the efficiency of secondary electron release. These alterations are associated with the reduction dynamics of lead ions and temperature-induced microstructural changes. As the hydrogen reduction temperature increases, internal stresses shift outward, and the uniformity of gain varies, reaching its peak at 400 °C. Additionally, an aluminum oxide film enhances resistance to baking and ensures consistent bulk resistance. This study elucidates the relationship between MCP performance and reduction temperature, providing valuable insights for design improvement.

Effects and optimizations of image charge technology on the imaging performance of capacitive division image readout MCP detectors

A finite element model is proposed to investigate the impact of image charge technology on the imaging performance of capacitive division image readout (C-DIR) devices. Through detailed simulation analysis, we explore the charge density of the induction layer and each electrode layer in the multilayer capacitive anode. The position nonlinearity is calculated for various resistances per square of the induction layer and substrate thicknesses. The simulation results indicate a strong linear correlation between the position nonlinearity and substrate thickness, and an exponential decay relationship with the logarithmic resistance per square of the induction layer. The C-DIR detector is experimentally tested for imaging nonlinearity and counting rate, with the resistance per square of the induction layer ranging from 0.005 to 1000 MΩ, and the substrate thickness ranging from 1 to 5 mm. The experimental results validate the simulation conclusions and reveal the impact of the “charge accumulation effect” and “shielding effect” on the imaging performance of the detector, as well as the “imaging compression” phenomenon. Optimized image charge readout technology enables the C-DIR detector to achieve an imaging nonlinearity of 1.53% in the experiment.

Can machine learning reduce the number of anode readouts for reconstruction of coincident single photons in CDIR resistive sea photon detectors?

This study focuses on exploring the potential of Charge Division Imaging Readout (CDIR) for micro-Channel plate (MCP) based resistive sea photon detectors. The CDIR technique spreads the MCP charge footprint capacitively between readout nodes forming anode segments. Charge measurements at each node are then used to reconstruct incident photon’s position and time. A primary objective is to investigate the minimum number of anode segmentation’s necessary, to allow successful reconstruction of multiple photons within a given time interval where pile up would be an issue for traditional approaches. Allowing for optimisation of the anode structure, investigating for a readout schematic to improve timing, rate capability, and reduce distortion effects.Algorithmic and machine learning (ML) techniques will be compared and utilised to reconstruct spatial positions of multiple photons. The comparison will aim to determine if machine learning techniques can be utilised to correct for algorithmic systematic errors to provide a more robust system, whilst removing the need for complex calibrations and allowing for efficient implementation on FPGA in future work.

Operation of the Belle II imaging Time-Of-Propagation (iTOP) detector before and after the first long shutdown

The iTOP detector is a Cherenkov detector specialized on particle identification at Belle II. The SuperKEKB accelerator collides electrons and positrons with a design luminosity of 6⋅10351cm2s. In order to exploit the high collision rate Belle II has a trigger rate of up to 30 kHz. The iTOP detector uses quartz bars as the source of Cherenkov photons. The photons are reflected inside the bars until they hit photomultipliers installed at one end. The spatial distribution and precise arrival times of the detected photons are used to reconstruct the Cherenkov angle and particle flight time. To achieve a good pion–kaon separation the photon arrival times have to be measured with a resolution of 100 ps. Microchannel plate photomultipliers together with dedicated high-speed electronics for 2.7 GSa/s waveform sampling in 8192 channels are used to achieve this requirement. After four years of operation, the experiment entered its first long shutdown phase in 2022. Aging components of iTOP were exchanged and the detector was prepared for data-taking at increasing luminosities and backgrounds after the long shutdown. In this talk the design of the iTOP detector will be shown and experience and results from operation will be discussed together with an outlook on future running conditions.

All-dielectric meta-surface transmission-mode ultra-thin GaAs negative electron affinity photocathode

Transmission-mode (t-mode) GaAs negative electron affinity photocathodes (NEA-PCs) can be integrated with the optical focusing lenses and microchannel plates to produce high-quality electron beams and high-sensitive detectors. Quantum efficiency (QE) of ∼40% has been reported for the t-mode thick (>1000 nm) GaAs NEA-PCs. Nevertheless, practical applications of these devices have been seriously restricted by their long response time (tens of picoseconds). In this work, the all-dielectric meta-surfaces (ADMS) were designed as the light managers for the t-mode ultra-thin GaAs NEA-PCs. For the 500–850 nm waveband, high light absorption (>80%) can be obtained through coupling the electromagnetic dipole moments of ADMS into the leaky optical modes in 100 nm ultra-thin GaAs NEA-PC layer, which leads to enhanced QE higher than that of the thick ones, the response time less than 5 ps, and the mean transverse energy less than 60 meV, respectively. Given these properties, ADMS t-model ultra-thin NEA-PCs represent a promising photocathode to provide the high-brightness short-pulse spin-polarized electron beams and high-sensitive fast-response detectors for the electron accelerator and low-light-level photodetection applications, respectively.

An enhanced gated MCP-PMT for neutron detection in laser fusion experiments

The microchannel plate photomultiplier tube (MCP-PMT) is a photodetector that utilizes microchannel plates for signal amplification, offering rapid pulse response time of sub-nanosecond with a compact design and low dark current. A series of enhanced gated MCP-PMTs have been developed by incorporating a gating electrode between the photocathode and the MCPs, which have been employed in neutron detection during the double-cone ignition laser fusion experiment at the SGII Upgrade laser facilities.

Delayed fragmentation of isolated nucleobases induced by MeV ions.

We evaluated the dissociation of isolated gas-phase nucleobase molecules induced by mega electron volt (MeV)-energy ions to gain fundamental insights into the reactions of nucleobases upon fast ion irradiation. We studied five nucleobase molecules-adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil-as gas-phase targets. We compared the fragmentation patterns obtained from carbon ion impacts with those obtained from proton impacts to clarify the effect of heavy ion irradiation. We also compared the results with electron impact and photoionization results. In addition, we identified several delayed fragmentation pathways by analyzing the correlation between fragment pairs generated from singly and doubly charged intermediate ions. To determine the lifetimes of delayed fragmentation from singly charged intermediate ions, we evaluated the detection efficiencies of the microchannel plate detector for the neutral fragment HCN as a function of kinetic energy using a new methodology. As the first demonstration of this method, we estimated the lifetimes of C5H5N5+ generated by 1.2-MeV C+ and 0.5-MeV H+ collisions to be 0.87 ± 0.43 and 0.67 ± 0.09 µs, respectively. These lifetimes were approximately one order of magnitude longer than those of the doubly charged intermediate ion C5H5N52+.

Cooling performance enhancement of electric vehicle film capacitor for ultra-high temperatures using micro-channel cold plates thermal management system

The increasing voltage and power density demands of electric vehicles pose notable challenges to the high-temperature resistance performance of film capacitors within motor controllers. Existing methods primarily focus on material modifications and conventional thermal management designs, often tested at 85 °C, which fail to meet the escalating demands for high-temperature operations. This paper presents the design and optimization of a thermal management system for film capacitors through simulations and experiments under ultra-high temperatures. ANSYS electro-thermal coupled simulation was used to analyze the temperature distribution of the capacitor under different ripple currents, leading to the development of a thermal management system based on internal micro-channel cold plates (IMCPs). These IMCPs were optimized using response surface and genetic algorithms to enhance cooling performance. Experimental and simulation comparisons were made between standard capacitors and those with IMCPs under ripple currents of 120 A and 180 A at 85 °C. Further examinations were conducted at ultra-high temperatures of 125 °C and 140 °C with a ripple current of 180 A. The findings show that capacitors with IMCPs had average temperature reductions of 45.50 °C and 48.45 °C at 85 °C under 120 A and 180 A ripple currents, respectively. Additionally, standard capacitors developed cracks or exploded at 125 °C and 140 °C under 180 A ripple current, while capacitors with IMCPs maintained normal functionality. These results indicate that capacitors integrated with IMCPs meet the rigorous high-temperature operational standards required for motor controllers in high-voltage electric vehicles.

A high-performance digital polymerase chain reaction chip integrated with nanorods-decorated microchannel plate

Abstract In this paper, we report on a digital PCR chip integrated with microchannel plate (MCP) for the quantification of DNA molecules. MCP, a highly porous glass membrane, is employed here as microreactors. The density of the microreactors reaches up to 1600 mm−2 with a total number of 40,000 chambers each in 100 pL volumes embedded in a 5 × 5 mm2 MCP, which is 100 times larger than that of the conventional microfabricated chips. In addition, the MCP is functionalized with ZnO nanorods to enhance the fluorescence signal. The dynamic range is noted as 105 and the detection limit of λDNA is determined to be 1.4 copies/μL.

Performance testing of a novel short axis photomultiplier tube for the HUNT project

Photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) with large-area cathodes are increasingly being used in cosmic-ray experiments to enhance detection efficiency. The optical modules (OMs) of the High-Energy Underwater Neutrino Telescope (HUNT) have employed a brand new N6205 20-inch microchannel plate photomultiplier tube (MCP-PMT) developed by the North Night Vision Science & Technology (Nanjing) Research Institute Co. Ltd. (NNVT). In order to make the 20-inch PMT fit into the 23-inch diameter pressure-resistant glass sphere, NNVT improved the internal structure of PMT and shortened the height of PMT by more than 10 cm. The first batch of these PMTs has been delivered for preliminary research work. This paper describes a specific PMT testing platform built for the first batch of 15 MCP-PMTs, and some performance parameters of PMT, such as peak-to-valley ratio, TTS and nonliniearity, are measured. The measurement results show that the new PMT still has good performance and can meet the requirements of HUNT project.

Hardware Implementation and Testing of 4-Channel Fast Electronics for an MCP Detector

Hardware Implementation and Testing of 4-Channel Fast Electronics for an MCP Detector

$$^{10}$$B-doped MCP detector developed for neutron resonance imaging at Back-n white neutron source

$$^{10}$$B-doped MCP detector developed for neutron resonance imaging at Back-n white neutron source

Development of an X-ray ionization beam position monitor for PAL-XFEL soft X-rays.

The Pohang Accelerator Laboratory X-ray Free-Electron Laser (PAL-XFEL) operates hard X-ray and soft X-ray beamlines for conducting scientific experiments providing intense ultrashort X-ray pulses based on the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) process. The X-ray free-electron laser is characterized by strong pulse-to-pulse fluctuations resulting from the SASE process. Therefore, online photon diagnostics are very important for rigorous measurements. The concept of photo-absorption and emission using solid materials is seldom considered in soft X-ray beamline diagnostics. Instead, gas monitoring detectors, which utilize the photo-ionization of noble gas, are employed for monitoring the beam intensity. To track the beam position at the soft X-ray beamline in addition to those intensity monitors, an X-ray ionization beam position monitor (XIBPM) has been developed and characterized at the soft X-ray beamline of PAL-XFEL. The XIBPM utilizes ionization of either the residual gas in an ultra-high-vacuum environment or injected krypton gas, along with a microchannel plate with phosphor. The XIBPM was tested separately for monitoring horizontal and vertical beam positions, confirming the feasibility of tracking relative changes in beam position both on average and down to single-shot measurements. This paper presents the basic structure and test results of the newly developed non-invasive XIBPM.

Analysis of the limits of applicability of photomultiplier as part of a laser Doppler anemometer

This paper considers the use of laser Doppler anemometry methods for non-contact measurement of the velocity of a moving medium in various phase states. It notes the specifi city of conditions of application of laser Doppler anemometers, in that in a number of cases there are restrictions on the use of photomultipliers. In order to find an alternative to the classic photomultiplier of a laser Doppler anemometer, three types of photomultipliers were investigated: classic electric vacuum; silicon avalanche multipixel; with microchannel plate. Physical experiments were conducted to measure the velocity of aero- and hydrodynamic fl ows by laser Doppler anemometer with photomultipliers of three types. The velocities of a rotating glass disk, aerodynamic fl ow in a channel of rectangular cross-section, and aerosol flow, as well as hydrodynamic flooded jet, were measured. The obtained experimental data were analyzed according to the criteria for assessing the quality (efficiency) of operation and finding the limits of applicability of the specified photomultipliers. Based on the physical properties of the studied photomultipliers, their efficiency indicators in various experiments are explained. The boundaries of the effective use of these photomultipliers in a wide class of physical experiments are determined. The results obtained are important for researchers involved in the study of aero- and hydrodynamic flows, where accurate and reliable measurements of flow velocity are required. The choice of an optimal photomultiplier tube for the laser anemometer allows increasing the accuracy and ease of obtaining experimental data and reducing the cost of the final equipment.