For those of you who—like me—were raised on the 1970 RCA Photomultiplier Manual, Wright’s 2017 book is the modern incarnation. Wright worked with photomultipliers for several decades. His unique, comprehensive book exudes his vast theoretical and practical knowledge of these devices, their associated electronics, and their use with signal recovery instruments.
The ubiquitous photomultiplier (PMT) does not multiply photons; it detects them. What is multiplied are electrons. The PMT is based on Einstein’s photoelectric effect, coupled with secondary electron emission; the result is an extremely low-light detector with high gain and low noise over a broad spectral range.
This highly recommended book is suitable for all users of the PMT who wish to optimize its performance. It is replete with technical data, references and an index.
Review by Barry R. Masters, Fellow of AAAS, OSA and SPIE
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or OSA.