Photon detector for photon-induced triggering of measuring electrons

Abstract

A photon detector has a photocathode for the photon-induced triggering of measuring electrons. Spatial position information is supplied by an at least one-dimensional electron-detector pixel array. An electron optics unit serves for guiding the measuring electrons to the array. Each pixel () has an electronic converter unit () for converting an analog measuring signal of the pixel () into a digital measuring signal, which incorporates a discriminator for background suppression. An electronic post-processing unit () serves for processing the digital measuring signal. The converter unit () of each pixel () has at least one clock generator (), as well as at least one counter (), which is in signal connection with the clock generator () and discriminator () for generation of a digital timing signal. The timing signal is such that itfrom the number of clock cycles between a time-reference point and the moment (t) of the arrival of an analog measuring signal not suppressed by the discriminator (). The result is a photon detector in which not only the position information can be derived from the measuring signal but additionally also the information when the measuring signal was triggered at the given pixel.Translator's note: This transition is based on an incomplete German-language sentence.