Large Photocathode Photodetectors Using Photon Amplification and Phase-Space Compression

We describe a simple technique to both amplify incident photons and compress their angular x area phase space. These Optical Compressor Amplifier Tubes (OCA Tube) use techniques analogous to image intensifiers, using vacuum photocathodes to detect photons as converted to photoelectrons, amplify the photons via photoelectron bombardment of fast scintillators, and compress the optical phase space onto optical fibers, so that small, high gain photodetectors, like miniature PMT or SiPM, can be used to detect photons from large areas, at comparatively low cost. The properties of and benefits of OCA tubes are described.