Aging behavior of large area MCP–PMT

The Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences have designed a new type of photomultiplier tube (PMT) based on microchannel plates (MCPs) with large area photocathode, known as large area microchannel plate photomultiplier tube (MCP–PMT). The aging characteristics of the large area MCP–PMTs are different from dynode PMTs and small proximity-focus MCP–PMT. In this work, a prototype large area MCP–PMT was aged by operating with nearly 1000 photoelectrons per pulse for 3 months, and aging process of the MCP–PMT was discussed based on the aging curve.