# A method for characterizing after-pulsing and dark noise of PMTs and SiPMs

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a model-independent method to characterize dark noise and after-pulsing in PMTs and SiPMs, enhancing understanding of their noise sources for applications in physics and medical imaging.

## Contribution

It presents a novel, model-independent measurement technique for dark noise and after-pulsing in photodetectors, improving noise characterization accuracy.

## Key findings

- Effective measurement of after-pulsing timing distribution.
- Accurate estimation of dark noise rate.
- Applicable to various PMT and SiPM models.

## Abstract

Photo-multiplier tubes (PMTs) and silicon photo-multipliers (SiPMs) are detectors sensitive to single photons that are widely used for the detection of scintillation and Cerenkov light in subatomic physics and medical imaging. This paper presents a method for characterizing two of the main noise sources that PMTs and SiPMs share: dark noise and correlated noise (after-pulsing). The proposed method allows for a model-independent measurement of the after-pulsing timing distribution and dark noise rate.