Status and progress of the novel photon detectors based on THGEM and hybrid MPGD architectures

Abstract We are developing large size THick GEM (THGEM)-based detectors of single photons, mainly meant for Cherenkov imaging applications. The RD relevant progress in the engineering aspects, in particularly related to the production of large-size THGEMs, where the strict correlation between the local gain-value and the local thickness-value has been demonstrated and a 300×300 mm 2 active area detector has been successfully operated at the CERN PS T10 test beam; the introduction of a new hybrid detector architecture, offering promising performance, which is formed by a THGEM layer which acts both as photocathode and pre-amplification device, followed by a MICROMEGAS (MM) multiplication stage. We report about the general status of the R&D programme and, in detail, about the recent progress.