The Edinburgh Instruments FS/FL900 steady-state/time-resolved spectrofluorometer is a computer controlled high-end scientific apparatus. The F900 control software package shipped with the spectrometer allows automation of many fluorescence measurements. However, the hardware itself is capable of performing much more complicated and/or non-standard measurements that are not supported by the software supplied.

We have developed a software package for complete measurement control and data acquisition with EI FS/FL900. This software is intended to complete rather than replace the original F900, and it goes far beyond its capabilities. The acquired data can be subsequently analysed with a suitable spreadsheet application or by the F900. Our goal is to develop a special but simple script language and its interpreter (written in C++ and running under Windows98) allowing to perform arbitrary measurements by users not experienced in computer programming [1].

Time-resolution of EI FS/FL900 instrument using time-correlated single photon counting (TC SPC) is determined by the excitation pulse width and by the photon detector response time mainly. The delivered basic (L-geometry) configuration of the spectrofluorometer comprises nF900 flashlamp excitation source and Hamamatsu R955 side-window photomultiplier tube (PMT) detector. The ultimate time-resolution of this setup is approximately 0.1 ns. To improve it, we have built up a second, alternative detection arm (T-geometry extension) equipped with an ultrafast Hamamatsu R3809U-50 microchannel-plate (MCP) photomultiplier tube detector. The MCP PMT detector alone improves the time-resolution about three times; when used with pulsed picosecond laser excitation (e.g. PicoQuant LDH400 violet diode laser) we expect final temporal resolution of the order of 10 ps.

(Information about the mentioned equipments is available at: http://www.edinst.com/ fluores/welcome.htm , http://www.hamamatsu.co.uk/ and http://www.picoquant.com)

References

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of MŠMT ČR 3499022 and GAČR 202/98/ 0566 projects.

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