DUSEL R&D Collaborative Research: Light Amplifier Compressor Photodetector Development for Astroparticle Experiments

这项奖励将提供资金，用于开发用于天体粒子物理、宇宙射线现象、核子衰变、中微子振荡和高能物理的新型光电探测器，这种探测器可以扩展到非常大的尺寸，超过现有的光电倍增管(PMT)。这种光电探测器压缩入射光子的相空间，并放大它们？一种光放大压缩机(LAC)管。这项技术是基于像增强器中使用的经过验证的技术，以及提出者已经建造的预原型的经验。光电子被加速到荧光屏上，产生的光被波长移位(WLS)光纤收集。由于荧光屏上的光电子轨迹不是关键的，因此产生了高收集效率和几乎等时的光电子到达。考虑了两种配置，一种具有平面光电阴极，接近聚焦到平面荧光屏的阳极，并通过屏幕后面的WLS光纤读出。另一种是圆柱形光电阴极，径向聚焦到一个小得多的圆柱形中空同轴荧光粉阳极上，通过同轴插入阳极柱中心的WLS光纤读出。与球形光电倍增管相比，同等光阴极面积的真空体积要小得多，真空封套可以承受更高的外部压力。对于百万吨级的中微子或核子衰变探测器，可以考虑直径20-30厘米，长1-2米的圆柱形光学压缩放大器，由一对直径为毫米的像素探测器读出，沿轴线的空间分辨率为~40厘米。更广泛的影响包括光子检测应用，其中低功率和/或紧凑性在检测位置是必不可少的。这些应用包括空间和卫星应用、CT扫描仪、伽马相机和荧光仪器。预计至少有六名学生将参与这项工作。如果成功，从事电光技术的公司也有可能将这项技术用于各种应用。

This award will provide funds to develop a new class of photodetectors for astroparticle physics, cosmic ray phenomena, nucleon decay, neutrino oscillations, and high energy physics, which can scale to very large sizes, exceeding available photomultipliers (PMTs). This photodetector compresses the phase space of the incident photons, and amplifies them ? a Light Amplifier Compressor (LAC) tube. The technology is based on proven techniques used in image intensifiers, and on the experience of a pre-prototype already constructed by the proposers. Photoelectrons are accelerated to a phosphor screen, and the resulting light is collected by wavelength-shifting (WLS) optical fibers. Because the photoelectron trajectories at the phosphor screen are not critical, high collection efficiency and nearly isochronous photoelectron arrivals result. Two configurations are considered, one with a planar photocathode, proximity focused to a planar phosphor screen anode, and readout by WLS fibers behind the screen. The other is a cylindrical photocathode, radially focused onto a much smaller cylindrical hollow coaxial phosphor anode, readout by WLS fibers coaxially inserted into the center of the anode cylinder. Compared with spherical-type PMTs, the vacuum volume for a comparable photocathode area is much reduced, and the vacuum envelope is amenable to much higher external pressures. For a mega-tonne-class neutrino or nucleon decay detector, a 20-30 cm diameter by 1-2 m long cylindrical Optical Compressor Amplifier might be contemplated, readout by a pair of mm diameter pixel detectors, with ~40 cm spatial resolution along the axis. Broader Impacts include photon detection applications where low power and/or compactness are essential at the site of detection. Such applications include space and satellite applications, CT scanners, gamma cameras, and fluorescence instruments. At least six students are anticipated to participate in this work. It is also likely that if successful, companies that work in electro-optics will use the technology for a variety of applications.