Imaging of CsI(Tl) crystal event and double-slit Young's interference by a single photon sensitive camera

TL;DR

This paper explores the use of a single photon sensitive camera for imaging scintillation events and Young's interference, demonstrating high sensitivity and potential for single alpha event imaging in photon-starved regimes.

Contribution

It introduces a novel optical readout approach for scintillation detectors using a single photon sensitive camera, with characterization and preliminary results showing high sensitivity.

Findings

Camera reaches sensitivity around 1/10 of a 3-inch PMT

Successful imaging of Young's interference with single photons

Potential for imaging single alpha events

Abstract

We will discuss an imaging measurement with a single photon sensitive and low noise camera aiming to a new paradigm in the optical readout of scintillation detectors. The features of the single photon sensitive camera will be characterized and demonstrated with a measurement on double-slit Young's interference in single photon mode. An imaging test on CsI(Tl) crystal and alpha source will be performed further for preliminary measurements on the noise level and sensitivity of the system with a 1/2", f/1.4 lens, which reaches an sensitivity on light intensity around 1/10 of the 3-inch PMT and shows a potential to realize an imaging of single alpha event. An application proposal to scintillation detectors will be further discussed, where it is usually assumed that the imaging is not possible in such a photon-starved and large-emittance regime.