An Introduction to Time Correlated Single Photon Counting for Fluorescence Decay Time Studies

Abstract

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Many organic materials exhibit a characteristic known as fluorescence. That is, when the material is injected with a pulse of energy, such as a burst of light from a LASER or flash tube, the electrons in the atoms which make up the sample are excited to an elevated energy state. At the completion of the excitation pulse the electrons immediately start relaxing back to their quiescent state, and in the process release energy in the form of a short burst of light. The wavelength, intensity, and amount of time it takes this fluorescence to decay provide the Chemist, Biochemist, and Biophysicist with important information on the make-up of the sample.