High-performance microchannel plate detectors for UV/visible astronomy

Recent advances in basic microchannel plate detector technology include new photocathodes such as diamond and GaN with high UV efficiency (up to >50%), silicon-based microchannel plates with low fixed pattern noise and background event rates less than 0.02 events cm−2 s−1. In combination with cross-strip photon counting readouts with spatial resolutions of <5 μm at low gain (4×105) these advances offer considerable performance improvements in future astronomical instruments.