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The measurement of time-of-flight (TOF) of relativistic particles in high-energy colliders with picosecond resolution would qualitatively change the ability to identify underlying parton-level processes at future colliders or upgrades of existing detectors. We have measured the timing properties of three micro-channel plate photo-multiplier tubes (MCPPMTs) from Photonis; one with 1024 anodes and the other two with 64 anodes. The 1024-anode 10-micron pore tube uses a charge-collection scheme at the anode to provide equal arrival time of the signal independent of the hit position of incident light on the face of the tube. The two 64-anode 25-micron pore tubes have a commercially available collection scheme and were used to find a limit on the timing resolution. We have performed these measurements using a newly assembled test-stand based on a Hamamatsu PLP-10 picosecond laser and a commercial CAMAC readout electronics system. We present these results and compare timing properties to earlier versions of the charge collection scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the principles, performance and limitations of position-sensitive vacuum photon detectors which find applications in high-energy physics experiments. Particular emphasis is devoted to multi-anode photo-multiplier tubes, devices based on micro-channel plates and hybrid photon detectors. Over the past 25 years, innovation in industrial environments, research centres and universities has led to the invention and consequent optimization of a number of position-sensitive photon detectors. Miniaturization of known principles and components or the smart combination of established concepts allowed to build new classes of finely-segmented photodetectors which in turn enabled new applications in high-energy physics, but also elsewhere. The imaging of Cherenkov light in hostile hadron environments like at the CERN Large Hadron Collider is perhaps one of the most demanding applications which would not have been possible without this breakthrough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]