Investigation of the on/off ratio of a gated image intensifier

Stephen Hamilton; Alfred Mottola

doi:10.1117/12.450860

5 February 2003 Investigation of the on/off ratio of a gated image intensifier

Stephen Hamilton, Alfred Mottola

Proceedings Volume 4796, Low-Light-Level and Real-Time Imaging Systems, Components, and Applications; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.450860
Event: International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology, 2002, Seattle, WA, United States

Abstract

Image intensifiers (Gen II) have been quoted in the past of having On/Off, or rejection ratios of 10⁷. In this paper we investigate the relationship of the On/Off ratio with incident wavelength. The data shows that the On/Off ratio can vary by as much as 10² with values of only 10⁴ at ~200nm for a given image intensifier. This low On/Off ratio can limit the sensitivity of an intensified CCD camera under certain conditions where there is an abundance of UV, such as combustion. This is particularly true in situations where the CCD exposure and readout times, typically milliseconds, takes longer than the required 'On' time of the photocathode, which is typically nanoseconds. Test data also shows the advantage of switching the MCP on and off simultaneously with the photocathode, which brings the rejection ratios up to >10⁸.

Citation Download Citation

Stephen Hamilton and Alfred Mottola "Investigation of the on/off ratio of a gated image intensifier", Proc. SPIE 4796, Low-Light-Level and Real-Time Imaging Systems, Components, and Applications, (5 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.450860

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