The VSiPMT (Vacuum Silicon PhotoMultiplier Tube) is an innovative design we proposed for a revolutionary photon detector. The main idea is to replace the classical dynode chain of a PMT with a SiPM (G-APD), the latter acting as an electron detector and amplifier. The aim is to match the large sensitive area of a photocathode with the performance of the SiPM technology. The VSiPMT has many attractive features. In particular, a low power consumption and an excellent photon counting capability. To prove the feasibility of the idea we first tested the performance of a special non-windowed SiPM by Hamamatsu (MPPC) as electron detector and current amplifier. Thanks to this result Hamamatsu realized two VSiPMT industrial prototypes. In this work, we present the results of a full characterization of the VSiPMT prototype.
@article{arxiv.1407.2805,
title = {A new generation photodetector for astroparticle physics: the VSiPMT},
author = {G. Barbarino and F. C. T. Barbato and L. Campajola and F. Canfora and R. de Asmundis and G. De Rosa and G. Fiorillo and P. Migliozzi and C. M. Mollo and B. Rossi and D. Vivolo},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1407.2805},
year = {2015}
}