High resolution neutron imaging at high counting rates with noiseless readout

We describe the design and report on the experimental results of a novel thermal and cold neutron imaging detector utilizing neutron sensitive ( ¹⁰B-doped) microchannel plates (MCPs). In this detector, the incoming neutron interaction products produce secondary electrons at the pores adjacent to the absorption point within the MCP glass. This electron signal is then multiplied by a stack of conventional MCPs within those adjacent pores limiting the spread of the signal to less than two pore diameters (currently 6-10 μm pores on 8-12 pm centers). The event position then can be encoded by a number of readout techniques already developed for photon/charged particle counting applications. This paper presents the results of experimental evaluation of neutron sensing MCP detector with Medipix2 readout allowing operation at high counting rate mode (>100 MHz level) at a spatial resolution limited by the 55 μm pixel size of the Medipix2 readout. Other attractive features of MCP neutron detectors are their high detection efficiency (approaching 50% levels) for thermal and cold neutrons and the absence of readout noise.