Characterization of a Hamamatsu R7600 multi-anode photomultiplier tube with single photon signals

The characterization of the single photon response of the Hamamatsu R7600 multi-anode photomultiplier tube (MaPMT) is presented, in view of a possible application in Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors and high rate single photon counting applications in general. For most of the measurements the main source of single photons was a commercial blue LED biased with a small current of a few nA. The spectra obtained with this source match those obtained with Cherenkov light from a PbF2 crystal illuminated with a 22Na gamma source, confirming that the test signals are single photons. Dark current and cross-talk were measured at the single photoelectron level. The single photon response of the PMT was also studied as a function of the bias ratio between dynodes. The sensitivity to magnetic field up to 30 G and the effectiveness of three magnetic shields with different geometries were evaluated. Gain loss due to aging was also studied up to 2000 hours of operation at high counting rate