Abstract: A detachable high-speed optoelectronic sampling head for use with an electron multiplier includes a housing having an evacuated chamber with a pair of transparent windows. Light to be detected is directed to the first window to a photoemissive strip spaced from a ground plane. The photoemissive strip comprises a microstrip, and the housing has high frequency feedthrough means for applying sampling potentials between said photoemissive strip and ground plane. A phosphor layer is provided on the other window in the chamber, and photoelectrons emitted from the photoemissive strip are directed through the ground plane to the phosphor layer.

Abstract: An electronic sampling head comprising a housing having a path for impinging radiation, a photoemissive element positioned across said path, photoelectron ejection means positioned in proximity to said photoemissive element, means for applying ultrashort sampling potential differences between said photoemissive element and said photoelectron ejection means for accelerating photoelectrons emitted by said photoemissive element in response to said incident radiation, and means for detecting said photoelectrons all resulting in the capability of detecting high-speed radiation phenomena with waveform fidelity.