A Brief Technical History of the Large-Area Picosecond Photodetector (LAPPD) Collaboration

TL;DR

The LAPPD Collaboration developed large-area, high-resolution photodetectors with pico-second timing and sub-millimeter spatial accuracy, advancing photodetector technology from R&D to commercialization.

Contribution

This paper details the design, development, and technical achievements of large-area picosecond photodetectors, including novel materials, electronics, and packaging methods.

Findings

Achieved time resolution less than 50 ps for single photons

Developed large-area micro-channel plate glass substrates

Created a scalable, high-speed data acquisition system

Abstract

The Large Area Picosecond PhotoDetector (LAPPD) Collaboration was formed in 2009 to develop large-area photodetectors capable of time resolutions measured in pico-seconds, with accompanying sub-millimeter spatial resolution. During the next three and one-half years the Collaboration developed the LAPPD design of 20 x 20 cm modules with gains greater than $10^7$ and non-uniformity less than $15\%$, time resolution less than 50 psec for single photons and spatial resolution of 700~microns in both lateral dimensions. We describe the R\&D performed to develop large-area micro-channel plate glass substrates, resistive and secondary-emitting coatings, large-area bialkali photocathodes, and RF-capable hermetic packaging. In addition, the Collaboration developed the necessary electronics for large systems capable of precise timing, built up from a custom low-power 15-GigaSample/sec waveform sampling 6-channel integrated circuit and supported by a two-level modular data acquisition system based on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays for local control, data-sparcification, and triggering. We discuss the formation, organization, and technical successes and short-comings of the Collaboration. The Collaboration ended in December 2012 with a transition from R\&D to commercialization.