Integration of the FastIC front-end electronics into the Picosec MicroMegas detector

Abstract

The Picosec MicroMegas collaboration aims to develop gaseous fast-timing detectors; experimentally, intrinsic time resolutions from around $\text{50}\text{ps}$ to better than $\text{20}\text{ps}$ are obtained, depending on the exact detector configuration. Parts of developments focus on exploring various options of fast-timing multi-channel front-end electronics, to meet the data processing demands of experimental applications. One option is the FastIC, which was developed for reading out positive and negative input polarity sensors with intrinsic amplification. In this paper, the first results from reading out the gaseous Picosec MicroMegas detector with the FastIC are presented. In laboratory studies, a basic description of the data processing chain was performed using a function generator. The results from test beam measurements are used to characterise the timing performance and the charge processing of the combination of FastIC and Picosec MicroMegas, as well as to demonstrate the possibility of a multi-channel detector readout. Although the timing-at-threshold level of the FastIC introduces a time walk of around $\text{1.5}\text{ns}$, time resolutions of around $\text{50}\text{ps}$ have been achieved.