  The Hamamatsu R11410-21 photomultiplier tube is the photodetector of choice
for the XENON1T dual-phase time projection chamber. The device has been
optimized for a very low intrinsic radioactivity, a high quantum efficiency and
a high sensitivity to single photon detection. A total of 248 tubes are
currently operated in XENON1T, selected out of 321 tested units. In this
article the procedures implemented to evaluate the large number of tubes prior
to their installation in XENON1T are described. The parameter distributions for
all tested tubes are shown, with an emphasis on those selected for XENON1T, of
which the impact on the detector performance is discussed. All photomultipliers
have been tested in a nitrogen atmosphere at cryogenic temperatures, with a
subset of the tubes being tested in gaseous and liquid xenon, simulating their
operating conditions in the dark matter detector. The performance and
evaluation of the tubes in the different environments is reported and the
criteria for rejection of PMTs are outlined and quantified.
