A focussed MCP image intensifier tube for high speed gating

This tube is aimed at shuttering speeds faster than 200 picoseconds, with required electrical gate pulse less than 80 volts. Similar tubes were described in a 1984 paper at this meeting. One new feature is the use of a microchannel plate (MCP) to provide high and adjustable signal gain. This tube, in comparison with proximity-focussed tubes, conserves resolution by using an electrostatic focus lens. Also new is the use of transfer photocathode technique to eliminate stray emission from the gate mesh. Measured performance: Gating speed, Gain, On-Off signal ratio is presented. Tube construction and the transfer photocathode technique is discussed. The noise which shows up in high-gain imaging systems is discussed