Development of a Pixelated BaF2 Test Bed for Timing Applications

Prototype pixelated BaF
2
detectors for timing applications have been assembled using state-of-the-art commercial off-the-shelf components. 64 square rods of pure BaF
2
(4.6 mm × 4.6 mm × 30 mm) are air-coupled in an 8 × 8 array to a Photonis XP85112 Planacon multianode microchannel plate photomultiplier tube; shortpass optical transmission interference filters may be inserted between the crystal array and photodetector to suppress the slow, self-trapped exciton luminescence. Three filter variants with different long wavelength cutoffs were tested experimentally, and the performance of each filter is assessed. The results of these and upcoming detector characterization exeriments will ascertain how well new technologies can leverage the unique timing properties of BaF
2
in a practical system, and provide quantitative guidance for effective continued development.