High resolution MCP-PMT readout using transmission lines

In this article 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 perform 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.