The PANDA experiment at the FAIR Facility in Darmstadt aims to investigate fundamental aspects of quantum chromodynamics using antiproton–proton annihilations. The Barrel DIRC detector requires high-performance microchannel-plate photomultiplier tubes (MCP-PMTs) for efficient particle identification. MCP-PMTs of the type XP85112-S-BA with atomic layer deposited (ALD) coatings were ordered from Photonis for the PANDA Barrel DIRC and underwent an extensive quality assurance process at the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg. While 63 tubes met the specifications, issues like high dark count rates, afterpulse ratios, and gain inhomogeneity limited the acceptance rate. Lifetime tests confirmed the durability of the ALD-coated MCPs for the required integrated anode charge.
Gumbert et al. (Fri,) studied this question.