Applying sub-nanosecond Timing Detectors Beyond Particle Physics

The project will focus on measurements of the newly developed Tiempix4.2 Hybrid Pixel Detector readout ASIC, and develop towards its use with a Low Gain Avalanche Diode based sensor.
The Timepix4+LGAD pairing will produce an imaging detector with 200 ps time resolution, low light level optical sensitivity and access to the tender X-ray regime (1-5keV).
Initial work will focus on the characterisation of the Timepix4 ASIC, and in particular the first year will target measurements of the Detective Quantum Efficiency (DQE) and resolution Mean Transfer Function (MTF) with both x-rays and 100keV scale electrons, as well as the development of required related calibration techniques. This will include an Allpix2 simulation of the electron interaction with the sensor, and then attempt to improve the resolving power by making use of the timing and energy resolving capabilities of the Timepix4.
One of the key capabilities of the Timepix4 is the high timing resolution of better than 200ps, to achieve this this precision in practise requires a very good understanding and calibration of the Internal effects on the Timepix4 ASIC. To investigate this an optically sensitive silicon sensor bonded to a Timepix4 will be probed using a ps accurate laser scanned across the pixel matrix.
The project will then focus on developing the application of Timepix4 based sensor in the following related areas based on calibrations with partners interested in making use of the Timepix4.
Oxford Chemistry Department - Building on previous Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (ToFMS), imaging work, looking at the possibility of using bare Timepix4 ASICS with a microchannel plate electron amplifier, or direct imaging of ions with an LGAD based sensor.
Oxford Materials Dept (OM) - Making use of the Timepix4 to read out an electron microscope, with a particular emphasis on the improved bandwidth of the Timepix4 and increasing the spatial resolution by measuring the properties of the sensor charge deposition pattern for each incident electron.
Oxford Archaeology Department - The large area and low noise capabilities of the Timepix4, potentially coupled to high z or thick silicon sensors will allow very low rate, precision gamma ray dosimetry of arachnological samples, primarily by making use of the cosmic background rejection capabilities of the detector.

In particular, the initial x-ray imaging and electron microscopy applications have significant interest for our CASE industrial partner Quantum Detectors Ltd, which provides a high level of overlap between the two aspects of the CASE project.