First characterization of the Hamamatsu R11265 multi-anode photomultiplier tube

The characterization of the new Hamamatsu R11265-103-M64 multi-anode photomultiplier tube is presented. The sample available in our laboratory was tested and in particular the response to single photon was extensively studied. The gain, the anode uniformity and the dark current were measured. The tube behaviour in a longitudinal magnetic field up to 100 G was studied and the gain loss due to the ageing was quantified. The characteristics and performance of the photomultiplier tube make the R11265-103-M64 particularly tailored for an application in high energy physics experiments, such as in the LHCb Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detector at LHC