The X-HPD—A modern implementation of a SMART concept

The concept of hybrid photodetectors which combine a large area photocathode with a crystal scintillator anode in the centre of a hemispherical vacuum tube was demonstrated first with the Philips SMART tubes and, more recently, with the QUASAR tubes of the Lake Baikal experiment. Photoelectrons from the cathode are accelerated by a potential difference of 20–30 kV and deposit their kinetic energy in the scintillator (or Phosphor). The generated scintillation light is detected by a small and low cost photodetector, e.g. a conventional PMT. The X-HPD study is a variation of this concept aiming at improved performance and maximum simplicity. The glass envelope is essentially spherical and a spatial scintillator crystal is mounted in its centre. The spherical symmetry leads to a uniform collection efficiency and very small intrinsic time spread over the full viewing angle of 120° (3 π solid angle). We report about test results of a the first X-HPD prototypes of 208 mm diameter with cylindrical and conical LYSO crystal anodes.