Photomultiplier Transit time dispersion

Low transit-time dispersion with photon wavelength, i.e., < 0.5 psec/nm. This minimizes the effect on convolution of the difference between the excitation and fluorescence wavelengths. Both side-window and linear focused photomultipliers satisfy this. 

Low transit-time dispersion with point of illumination on the photocathode, i.e., < 20 psec/mm. Linear focused photomultipliers satisfy this criterion, but side-window devices do not. This again is relevant to successful data analysis. 

Figure 3.20 shows the effect of the transit time dispersion on the measurement of an ideal light pulse. Since photoelectrons spend some time traveling from the photocathode to the anode (transit time), the photomultiplier signal is delayed in time with respect to the incident pulse. Furthermore, due to the transit time dispersion, the... 

When time-dependent signals are to be measured by a photomultiplier, the time sensitivity is usually limited by the inhomogeneous transit time. The transit time is the time taken by electrons generated in the cathode to arrive at the anode. If all of the emitted electrons had the same transit time, then the current induced in the anode would display the same time dependence as the incoming light, but delayed in time. However, not all of the electrons have the same transit time. This produces some uncertainty in the time taken by electrons to arrive at the anode. There are two main causes of this dispersion ... 

The time resolution of the electronics in a single photon counting system can be better than 50 ps. A problem arises because of the inherent dispersion in electron transit times in the photomultiplier used to detect fluorescence, which are typically 0.1—0.5 ns. Although this does not preclude measurements of sub-nanosecond lifetimes, the lifetimes must be deconvoluted from the decay profile by mathematical methods [50, 51]. The effects of the laser pulsewidth and the instrument resolution combine to give an overall system response, L(f). This can be determined experimentally by observing the profile of scattered light from the excitation source. If the true fluorescence profile is given by F(f) then the... 

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