Optical gating characteristic time of measurement with 20 picoseconds resolution for an ultrafast image intensifier

Abstract In order to study the optical gating time characteristic of an ultra-fast gated image intensifier, a precision measuring system with 20 ps (picoseconds) trigger jitter is established. The sequential gate images of the image intensifier with a time interval of 20 ps are obtained at 0.125 ns ∼2 ns (nanoseconds) gating electrical pulse modes. These images show that the intensifier has the familiar normal “iris” turn-on and abnormal “iris” turn-off behavior. The turn- on time is about 130 ps and the turn-off time is about 170 ps. In 1 ns and 2 ns gating modes, the fully-on time of optical gating almost is equal to the width of the electrical gating pulse, In 0.5 ns, 0.25 ns and 0.125 ns modes, the fully-on time is less than the width of the electrical gating pulse, especially in the 0.125 ns gating mode, and the image in fully-on phase is not observed. The width at 90% of the peak of the optical gating time response curve may better characterize the fully-on time of optical gating.