Further investigation of CsI-coated microchannel plate quantum efficiencies

Previously, pulse-counting detection efficiencies measured for CsI-coated microchannel plate (MCP) detectors (two-stage chevron configuration with a single collecting anode) have been reported to be 15-20 percent near Lyman-alpha (1216 A), compared to typical 65 percent quantum yields of opaque CsI photocathodes. To investigate the possibility that an improvement in quantum yield could result from use of MCPs with a bias angle of about 25 deg instead of 8 deg as used previously, the previous measurements were reported with new MCPs having the larger bias angle. No significant improvement in detection efficiency was achieved; the new detector tests still yielded maximum efficiencies of the order of 20 percent near 1216 A.