SBIR-STTR Award

Nuclear physics research has a need for devices to detect, analyze, and track photons, charged particles, and neutral particles such as neutrons, neutrinos, and single atoms. Particle Identification (PID) subsystems, often operating in magnetic fields >1.5 Tesla, require highly segmented (2-3 mm pixel) photodetectors with high gain, low intrinsic background, and high photocathode efficiency to support the high rates found in noisy radiation environments. LAPPD™ currently being commercialized by Incom, Inc. has demonstrated many of the needed requirements, however, there is still much development and optimization needed for LAPPD™ to be a candidate for these applications. Development and demonstration of a pixelated readout is essential for EIC R&D efforts and can potentially provide an upgrade option for current Nuclear Physics PID subsystems. The proposed Phase I SBIR program, “Application Specific High Fluence Anode Design”, will address an important but otherwise overlooked need, to address design issues for a highly pixelated LAPPD detector “read-out” layer, a signal board integrated with electronics, and a testing campaign to verify functionality. Phase I objectives including a figure of merit analysis / trade study to evaluate various designs considering application rate and occupancy conditions, as well as electronics cost, power dissipation and other variables will provide universally applicable guidelines for researchers that wish to customize anode and readout designs for their application, irrespective of their choice of specifics of the detector or read-out electronics. The results of modeling will result in innovative readout board designs that will be fabricated and tested with LAPPD both in the laboratory and in beamline trials. Successful implementation of this proposals would in principle allow for a high density, multichannel readout to be implemented in a single detector package that could be used in a variety of different detector configurations, and therefore eliminating many of the problems associated with transporting high-speed signals and trying to achieve precise timing calibrations over an extended area. LAPPD™ will enable new techniques in HEP, homeland security (non- proliferation) sensors to screen vehicles and cargo for Special Nuclear Materials (SNMs) and scientific detectors for astrophysics, time-of-flight mass spectrometry and medical imaging products including detectors for positron emission tomography (PET scanning) that are not accessible with conventional small a