Commercial Fluorescence Lifetime Spectrometers have long suffered from the lack of a simple, compact and relatively inexpensive broad spectral band light source that can be flexibly employed for both quasi-steady state and time resolved measurements (using Time Correlated Single Photon Counting [TCSPC]). This paper reports the integration of an optically pumped photonic crystal fibre, supercontinuum source¹ (Fianium model SC400PP) as a light source in Fluorescence Lifetime Spectrometers (Edinburgh Instruments FLS920 and Lifespec II), with single photon counting detectors (micro-channel plate photomultiplier and a near-infrared photomultiplier) covering the UV to NIR range. An innovative method of spectral selection of the supercontinuum source involving wedge interference filters is also discussed.

Date Published: 17 February 2010
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 7580, Fiber Lasers VII: Technology, Systems, and Applications, 75800R (17 February 2010); doi: 10.1117/12.842672

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7580:
Fiber Lasers VII: Technology, Systems, and Applications
Kanishka Tankala, Editor(s)