High resolution MCP-PMT Readout Using Transmission Lines

TL;DR

This paper explores a transmission line-based readout for MCP-PMTs to detect single photo-electrons, achieving high spatial and temporal resolution with fewer channels, for use in advanced PET imaging.

Contribution

It introduces a novel MCP-PMT readout method using transmission lines that reduces channel count while maintaining high resolution, suitable for PET applications.

Findings

Achieved 70 ps time resolution for single photo-electrons.

Attained spatial accuracy of 1.6 mm along lines and 0.9 mm across lines.

Demonstrated cost-effective multi-channel digitization with high precision.

Abstract

We study the potential of the MCP-PMT read-out to detect single photo-electron using transmission lines. Such a solution limits the number of read-out channels, has a uniform time resolution across the PMT surface and provides quasi-continuous measurement of the spatial coordinates. The proposed solution is designed to be used in the BOLD-PET project aiming to develop an innovative detection module for the positron emission tomography using the liquid detection media, the tri-methyl bismuth. In this study we use the commercial MCP-PMT Planacon from Photonis, with 32x32 anode structure. The PCB gathers signals from anode pads in 32 transmission lines which are read-out from both ends. Amplifier boards and SAMPIC modules, developed in our labs, allow us to realize the cost-effective, multi-channel digitization of signals with excellent precision. For a single photo-electron, we measured a time resolution of 70~ps (FWHM) simultaneously with a spatial accuracy of 1.6~mm and 0.9~mm (FWHM) along and across transmission lines correspondingly.