Lambert Instruments Cooled Intensifier - Lambert Instruments - #1

Turfweg 4 9313 TH Leutingewolde The Netherlands Tel: +31-(0)50-501 84 61 Fax: +31-(0)50-501 00 34 E-mail: info@lambert-instruments.com Website: www.lambert-instruments.com

¹ INSTRUMENTS

PERFECTION IM IMAGE DETECTION

Lambert Instruments Cooled Intensifier

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The Lambert Cooled Intensifier has been developed as part of a photon counting imaging system. This system is used as a photon detector of a wave-front sensor in an astronomical adaptive optical telescope. A high frame rate CCD camera is coupled to the output of the intensifier via a fast relay lens. The incoming light signal is as low as a couple of hundred photons per sample. As a consequence a high quantum efficiency and low dark current of the image intensifier are required.

High quantum efficiency, very high gain and high output brightness are properties of the applied two-stage hybrid image intensifier. The extremely low photocathode dark current of 0,1 count/s/cm² has been achieved by cooling the image intensifier down to -25C^o.

The gain and the temperature of the intensifier are manually adjusted by means of the separate power supply/control unit. Very short exposures and time resolved measurements are allowed by the intensifier-gating feature. The intensifier is cooled by means of a thermo-electric cooler. The hot side of the Peltier element is water-cooled. The intensifier is mounted in an insulated housing.

Applications of the Cooled Intensifier are:

• astronomy

• photon imaging