Advanced Photon Counting Techniques Vi

Advanced Photon Counting Techniques VI.

Advanced Photon Counting

This volume focuses on Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC), a powerful tool allowing luminescence lifetime measurements to be made with high temporal resolution, even on single molecules. Combining spectrum and lifetime provides a “fingerprint” for identifying such molecules in the presence of a background. Used together with confocal detection, this permits single-molecule spectroscopy and microscopy in addition to ensemble measurements, opening up an enormous range of hot life science applications such as fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) and measurement of Förster Resonant Energy Transfer (FRET) for the investigation of protein folding and interaction. Several technology-related chapters present both the basics and current state-of-the-art, in particular of TCSPC electronics, photon detectors and lasers. The remaining chapters cover a broad range of applications and methodologies for experiments and data analysis, including the life sciences, defect centers in diamonds, super-resolution microscopy, and optical tomography. The chapters detailing new options arising from the combination of classic TCSPC and fluorescence lifetime with methods based on intensity fluctuation represent a particularly unique highlight.

Single-Photon Generation and Detection

This chapter presents a broad review of the principle, design, fabrication, operation, and performance of single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), and provides a comparative basis to assess the relative merits of the wide variety of devices and techniques covered. Particular attention is paid to the design of and operation of both silicon and high-speed-gated InGaAs/InP detection systems, as well as array-based systems.