Femtosecond optical Kerr-gate measurement of fluorescence spectra of dye solutions

• Published in: Journal of luminescence 2000-05, Vol.87, p.917-919
• Main Authors: Kanematsu, Y., Ozawa, H., Tanaka, I., Kinoshita, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atomic and molecular physics; Exact sciences and technology; Fluorescence; Fluorescence and phosphorescence spectra; Fluorescence and phosphorescence; radiationless transitions, quenching (intersystem crossing, internal conversion); Infrared, submillimeter wave, microwave and radiowave instruments, equipment and techniques; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Molecular properties and interactions with photons; Optical Kerr effect; Physics; Time-resolved optical spectroscopies and other ultrafast optical measurements in condensed matter; Ultrafast spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0022-2313; 1872-7883
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-2313(99)00472-X

Utilizing the ultrafast electronic response of Kerr effect of glass material as an optical gate, we have constructed a system for the time-resolved fluorescence measurement in the 100-fs time region. We have demonstrated that the ultrafast Kerr-gate technique combined with multi-channel spectral detection enables us to the direct measurement of the spectral shape. Because of highly efficient gating and simultaneous acquisition of all the spectral components, the time-resolved fluorescence spectra of high S/N ratio have been obtained for several dye solutions. Although wavelength-dependent time delay of the system is found to remain, direct recognition of the dynamic Stokes shift in the S 2→S 0 fluorescence of malachite green in ethanol has been made by comparing the obtained time-resolved spectra with those of the ultrafast fluorescence of β-carotene in hexane.