Light Sensor Development Program for Astro-Particle Physics Experiments by the MPP Researchers

by Dr Razmik Mirzoyan

Tuesday 22 Oct 2013, 17:00 → 18:00 Europe/Berlin

Auditorium (MPI fuer Physik)

The Astro-particle physics group in MPP has long traditions in light sensor developments. Several type classical Photo Multiplier Tubes (PMT) were initiated by the researchers from MPP. Along with these also very high Quantum Efficiency (QE) Hybrid Photo Multiplier tubes and Avalanche Photo Diode (APD) sensors were developed in cooperation with industrial partners. Since mid 1960’s the QE of classical PMTs was stagnating on the level of ~25%. In recent ~7 years we initiated up to 50-60% improvement of the QE of bialkali type PMTs. The MAGIC project was the first to profit from these developments, the new PMTs allowed us operating the telescopes above a low energy threshold of 50GeV. Novel PMTs will provide a very low threshold for the telescopes of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). Along with vacuum tube technology in recent 10 years we are closely cooperating with researchers from Russia who were pioneering the developments of SiPM. Our cooperation, also with industrial partners, showed fruitful results, top-class sensors became available, setting new standards. In my presentation I would like to go over development of different type sensors by the MPP researchers, focusing on super-bialkali type PMT and on SiPM developments.