Large-Area Picosecond Photo-Detectors (LAPPDs) are a new kind of imaging photodetector designed to provide exquisite time resolution.
Prof. Sanchez and Prof. Wetstein have studied the possibility of using new LAPPDs based on micro-channel plates in large water Cherenkov detectors that could be used by future long baseline neutrino experiments. Prof. Wetstein is a member of the LAPPD collaboration and is an expert in the characterization of these devices.
Prof. Wetstein has supervised and guided students around the World to develop the electronics and firmware used by the detectors. Notably, working closely with technicians, he oversaw the specification, development, and evaluation of a dedicated LAPPD trigger board. This board is now designed and built, and is required to precisely define the start time of the event.
Full assembly and test deployment of a waterproof housing containing only humidity test strips in the ANNIE tank has been carried out, where it was deployed to the lowest expected LAPPD position in the tank. This test was successful and so the first complete characterisation of the detectors are being performed. Quantum efficiency, gain, timing, and noise characteristics have been measured andare consistent with the data taken by Incom, Inc. With the baseline performance of the electronicsand LAPPD now established, the group is moving on to testing progressively more complete builds of the full electronics chain, and working towards the development of an LAPPD analysis chain.
Notable Recent Talks and Posters
- Weinstein, Panelist on the MultiHEP LAPPD panel, November, 2020