High-throughput single photon counting
PhotonPix is the solution for ultra-fast single photon counting. The heart of the detector is a microchannel plate based photomultiplier tube, enabling a dead time below 2 ns and sustainable count rates above 100 MHz and burst rates of up to 1 GHz. The combination of high throughput detection with a timing resolution below 35 ps makes PhotonPix an ideal photon detector for your application. Its large ⌀8 mm sensitive area can accomodate one of four highly sensitive photocathodes, matching the spectral range you are interested in.
Features
Software
The included control software gives you full access to every PhotonPix connected to your PC, with no limit on the number of devices. A single window shows live count rates, discriminator threshold and high-voltage settings for each detector, so multi-channel experiments can be configured and monitored side by side. Settings are stored per device and reloaded on startup, and all parameters exposed in the interface are also available through the API for integration into your own acquisition scripts.
Ultra-low deadtime
The oscilloscope trace shows two consecutive photon events as seen at the anode (upper beam) and at the logical NIM output (lower beam). The second pulse is resolved cleanly 1.6 ns after the first, with no pile-up and no amplitude loss on either channel — the measured dead time of the detector. Because the integrated constant-fraction discriminator retimes every event, the NIM pulses retain uniform width and amplitude at the shortest spacing, which is what allows sustained counting above 100 MHz and burst rates approaching 1 GHz without paralysis of the counting chain.
Specification
Performance | |
|---|---|
| Max. recommended count rate, MHz | 5 |
| Maximum burs count rate, MHz | 100 |
| Shutdown count rate, MHz | 120 |
| Discrimination | Integrated constant-fraction discriminator |
| Dark count rate, Hz | < 30 (Blue, Aqua) < 50 (Green) < 200 (Red) |
| Timing jitter, ps (FWHM) | < 35 (1MHz) < 45 (10MHz) < 75ps (100MHz) |
| Active area, mm | ⌀8 |
| Dead time, ns | <1.9ns |
Signal Output | |
| Output connectors | 2× SMA Female |
| Logical output signal | NIM, 50 Ω |
| Anode output signal | Negative 0-100mV, @50Ω |
General | |
| Power supply | 5…12V, 1A mim |
| Optical connector | C-Mount (1-32 UN 2A) |
| Dimensions, (w × d × h), mm | 145 ×78 ×50 |
| Cooling | External water cooling |
Spectral sensitivity
Whatever