Fluorescence Decay Measurements via High Repetition Rate Gated Photon Counting

Abstract

Current methods for time-resolved measurements with photon counting detection are not able to take advantage adequately of the high repetition rates available from most pulsed ion laser sources. A technique is described which allows high repetition rate gating of fluorescence decays with photon counting detection. Fluorescence decay measurements of acridine orange (τ = 4.4 ns), rubrene (τ = 16.5 ns) and tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) dichloride (τ = 760 ns) are obtained at repetition rates as high as 2.7 MHz. The utility of this technique for analog measurements is also demonstrated.