DEVELOPMENT OF MCP BASED PHOTON DETECTORS FOR THE EUROPEAN XFEL

Radiation detectors based on micro channel plates (MCP) are planned for installation at the European XFEL. Main purpose of these detectors is searching a signature of lasing and further fine tuning of the FEL process. Detectors operate in a wide dynamic range from the level of spontaneous emission to the saturation level (between a few nJ and 25 mJ), and in a wide wavelength range from 0.05 nm to 0.4 nm for SASE1 and SASE2, and from 0.4 nm to 5 nm for SASE3. An essential feature of the detectors is high relative accuracy of measurements (below 1%), which is crucial for detection of a signature of amplification and characterization of statistical properties of the radiation. Photon pulse energies are measured with traditional MCP with anode, and photon beam image is measured by MCP imager with phosphor screen anode. The visualization of a single bunch in a train, or average image over the full train will be performed at a spatial resolution of 30 µm.