PicoQuant Combines Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Microscopy
PicoQuant, a German research and development company in the field of optoelectronics, has released a new fibre coupling sample holder for the modular time-resolved spectrometer FluoTime 300.
According to the company, this holder makes it possible to interface the system with a microscope such as the MicroTime 100. This set-up easily allows users to record time- and space-resolved emission spectra from any sample mounted in the microscope.
Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy is used for investigating excited state dynamics in molecules, complexes, or semiconductors. Expanding the capabilities of a spectrometer with a microscope's ability to probe and scan small areas provides exciting opportunities for investigating the spatial dependence of luminescence behavior in a large variety of samples, says PicoQuant.
As an example, this combination allows localising and characterising structural defects in semiconductor materials such as CIGS used in solar cell research.
PicoQuant says that when equipped with hybrid detectors, versatile Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) cards with optional longer time ranges, and pulsed lasers capable of working in burst mode, the set-up offers a combined solution covering most of the demands of either high time, spectral, or spatial resolution in many fields.
