Unique capabilities and applications of Microchannel Plate (MCP) detectors with Medipix/Timepix readout

The development of highly pixelated fast Medipix/Timepix readout enabled a large number of novel hybrid detectors, where incoming particles/photons are initially converted into a measureable charge, typically exceeding 1000 electrons. Among those possible converters are Microchannel plate (MCP) electron multipliers, which provide some unique capabilities when combined with bare Medipix/Timepix readout. Fast event multiplication with ~10–20 ps time jitter, localized within the MCP pore (typically 5–10 μm in diameter) and low dark currents make MCP/Medipix/Timepix hybrid devices very attractive for the high spatial and temporal resolution detection of low energy photons (soft X-ray, UV and visible), alpha particles, ions and also neutrons. In this review we present a brief overview of the capabilities of MCP/Medipix/Timepix detectors and show the results of experiments conducted with such hybrid detectors in various applications including neutron imaging, astronomy, mass spectroscopy and others.