Microchannel plate cross-talk mitigation for spatial autocorrelation measurements

Abstract: Microchannel plates (MCP) are the basis for many spatially-resolved single-particle detectors such as ICCD or I-sCMOS cameras employing image intensifiers (II), MCPs with delay-line anodes for the detection of cold gas particles or Cherenkov radiation detectors. However, the spatial characterization provided by an MCP is severely limited by cross-talk between its microchannels, rendering MCP and II ill-suited for autocorrelation measurements. Here we present a cross-talk subtraction method experimentally exemplified for an I-sCMOS based measurement of pseudo-thermal light second-order intensity autocorrelation function at the single- photon level. The method merely requires a dark counts measurement for calibration. A reference cross- correlation measurement certifies the cross-talk subtraction. While remaining universal for MCP applications, the presented cross-talk subtraction in particular simplifies quantum optical setups. With the possibility of autocorrelation measurement the signal needs no longer to be divided into two camera regions for a cross- correlation measurement, reducing the experimental setup complexity and increasing at least twofold the simultaneously employable camera sensor region.