Development of large area photon counting detectors optimized for Cherenkov light imaging with high temporal and sub-mm spatial resolution

Progress towards the development of a 20 cm sealed tube optical detector with imaging and photon event time stamping is presented. Novel microchannel plates employing borosilicate micro-capillary arrays have been tested. These provide many performance characteristics typical of conventional MCPs, but have been made in sizes up to 20 cm, have low intrinsic background (0.085 events cm⁻² s⁻¹) and very stable gain behavior for at least 1 C cm⁻² of charge extraction. Bialkali (Na<inf>2</inf>KSb) photocathodes with > 20% quantum efficiency have also been made on borofloat-33 windows compatible with a 20 cm sealed tube device.