Fluorescence Microscopes

Micro-photoluminescence Upgrade

Multimodal Imaging

  • Steady-state and time-resolved spectra from defined regions of interest
  • Multidimensional dataset: spectral, temporal, and spatial information
  • Various microscope-spectrometer coupling options
  • Highly modular and flexible design
  • Outstanding spectral and temporal sensitivity
Image Micro-photoluminescence Upgrade

Spatial, spectral, and lifetime information from the same sample areaPicoQuant specializes in time-resolved spectrometers and microscopes. Combining expertise from both fields, we offer instruments for time-resolved micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy that integrate spatial, spectral, and lifetime measurements. By coupling microscopes and spectrometers, both high-resolution steady-state and time-resolved emission spectra of specific sample regions or points of interest can be acquired. These multi-dimensional data sets provide valuable new insights that are beneficial to materials science in a variety of fields such as photovoltaics, LEDs, and semiconductors. In particular, the combination of spectral and lifetime measurements of photoluminescence is essential for a comprehensive understanding of the local photophysical and electronic properties of different types of materials or devices.

> Possible combinations

Recent publications by researchers using the coupled instruments

Charge Carrier Lifetime Fluctuations and Performance Evaluation of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Absorbers via Time-Resolved-Photoluminescence Microscopy
Ochoa, et al.
Advanced Energy Materials 2021
Average effective lifetimes as a function of excess carrier density for all samples analyzed.
 

Defect engineering in wide-bandgap perovskites for efficient perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells
Yang, et al.
Nature Photonics 2022
Nature Photonics, August 2022

High grain boundary recombination velocity in polycrystalline metal halide perovskites
Zhenyi Ni et al.
Science Advances 2022
Grain boundaries recombination velocity of polycrystalline films

Lattice engineering for stabilized black FAPbI3 perovskite single crystals for high-resolution x-ray imaging at the lowest dose
Chu, et al.
Science Advances 2023
Stability of the annealed FAPbI3 SCs

Local Energy Landscape Drives Long-Range Exciton Diffusion in Two-Dimensional Halide Perovskite Semiconductors
Baldwin, et al.
J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2021
Local spatially resolved diffusion measurements in an RRP flake at different fluences.


Depending on your application and requirements, various microscopes (FluoMic, MicroTime 100, MicroTime 200) can be combined with either a spectrometer (FluoTime 300, FluoTime 250) or the FlexWave wavelength selector unit.

  FluoMic MicroTime 100 MicroTime 200
Microscope body upright upright inverted
Observation volume µm-sized (2 – 100 µm) confocal confocal
Imaging speed optional scanning upgrade,
depending on piezo scanner, > 30 sec		 depending on piezo scanner, > 30 sec depending on piezo scanner, > 30 sec
or FLIMbee galvo scanner, with FLIMbee several fps*
Software SymPhoTime 64 for data acquisition and analysis
Carrier diffusion upgrade no yes yes
  FluoTime 250 FluoTime 300 FlexWave
Detector type PMA Hybrid PMA Hybrid, NIR PMT PMA Hybrid, SPAD
Number of detectors 1 1 - 2 1 - 4
Spectral range UV - VIS UV - VIS - NIR 400 - 1000 nm
Spectral resolution Single monochromator 1 nm Single monochromator 1 nm, double monochromator better 0.1 nm 1 nm
Detection sensitivity Loss in single monochromator 60 - 70 % depending on grating and coating Loss in double monochromator 70 - 75 % depending on grating and coating Transmission > 80 %
Software EasyTau 2 EasyTau 2 SymPhoTime 64
Data Time-resolved emission spectra at point of interest Time-resolved emission spectra at point of interest Time-resolved emission spectra at point of interest, TRES imaging, wavelength-dependent antibunching

* FLIMbee only available with FluoTime coupling, not compatible with FlexWave

The confocal microscopes MicroTime 100 and MicroTime 200, that acquire time-resolved images, can also be equipped with either a spectrograph and EMCCD camera to obtain steady-state emission spectra per image pixel, or with a spectrograph and sFLIM detector to measure time-resolved emission spectra per image pixel.

Depending on the research question and type of sample, one technical implementation may be more suitable than others.

Contact us for more information.



Luminescence excitation and emission spectra, on the one hand, are fundamental for analyzing a wide range of materials. On the other hand, microscope images reveal the spatial variation of luminescence properties, e.g., due to structural defects in materials. Moreover, the luminescence lifetime is an intrinsic characteristic of materials, which can be used either for their identification or to sense their local environment. By combining all three types of information from correlated data sets, researchers can draw new conclusions about the properties and behavior of the materials under study.


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