Fast gating function and high light amplification: Image intensifiers from PHOTEK

PHOTEK’s image intensifiers are based on vacuum tubes and are used to amplify incident light by four to six orders of magnitude. This enables applications in which individual photons must be detected — applications that require particularly high frame rates,
occur outside the visible spectrum, and are made visible to detectors by the intensifiers.

How is the amplifier designed?
Photons enter the sealed vacuum tube through an entrance window.
There, they strike the photocathode and generate photoelectrons. The photoelectrons are accelerated and multiplied in the cathode and in the multichannel plate (MCP) by knocking secondary electrons out of the walls of the capillaries. The generated electrons strike the phosphor screen, which converts the electrons back into photons.
The image is then directed to a detector via suitable optics, such as a fiber optic system. Ultimately, every component of the image intensifier is tailored to the target application.

The image intensifiers can serve as a standalone component in your setup or be integrated as an OEM component. The associated electronics and gating units can be customized accordingly.

You can find the application note for this post here – or simply contact us.
We’d be happy to work with you to put together the right configuration for your application.