Patent · US Expired

Gain control of photomultiplier tubes used in detecting differential absorption lidar returns

US4820914A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
8References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 20, 1988
Grant dateApr 11, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 20, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J43/30
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A technique for controlling the gain of a photomultiplier tube (PMT) 20. A voltage divider (resistors 45-49 in FIG. 1 and zener diodes 60-65 in FIG. 3) is used to control the potentials on dynodes 5, 7, and 9 of PMT 20. Transistor switches 53 and 58 provide the control of the voltage divider in FIG. 1 and photodiodes 66, 67 and 70 provide the control in FIG. 3. The gain control of PMT 20 is in the range from 100% to less than 0.001% (100,000 to 1).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.