A time-resolution study with a plastic scintillator read out by a Geiger-mode Avalanche Photodiode

TL;DR

This study investigates the optimal time resolution of a plastic scintillator coupled with a Geiger-mode Avalanche Photodiode, demonstrating competitive performance with traditional photomultiplier tubes.

Contribution

It establishes the best achievable time resolution with this setup and characterizes its dependence on deposited energy.

Findings

Time resolution scales inversely with square root of energy deposited.

Achieves a time resolution of 18 ps at 1 MeV.

Performance is comparable to the best photomultiplier tube systems.

Abstract

In this work we attempt to establish the best time resolution attainable with a scintillation counter consisting of a plastic scintillator read out by a Geiger-mode Avalanche Photodiode. The measured time resolution is inversely proportional to the square root of the energy deposited in the scintillator, and scales to 18ps (sigma) at 1MeV. This result competes with the best ones reported for photomultiplier tubes.