Optical modulation

Figure Cl.4.9. Usual cooling (carrier) and repumping (sideband) transitions when optically cooling Na atoms. The repumper frequency is nonnally derived from the cooling transition frequency with electro-optic modulation.

Figure C3.5.3. Schematic diagram of apparatus used for (a) IR pump-probe or vibrational echo spectroscopy by Payer and co-workers [50] and (b) IR-Raman spectroscopy by Dlott and co-workers [39]. Key OPA = optical parametric amplifier PEL = free-electron laser MOD = high speed optical modulator PMT = photomultiplier OMA = optical multichannel analyser.

Circular dichroism employs standard dispersive or interferometric instmmentation, but uses a thermal source that is rapidly modulated between circular polari2ation states using a photoelastic or electro-optic modulator. Using phase-sensitive detection, a difference signal proportional to the absorption difference between left- and right-polari2ed light, AA is recorded as a function of wavenumber. Relative differential absorptions... 

In video microscopy, for instance, background is normally subtracted using differential interference contrast (DIC) [18]. This technique, which requires a number of manipulations from the user, may now be automated using a new method called polarization-modulated (PMDIC) [19,20], It requires the introduction of a liquid crystal electro-optic modulator and of a software module to handle difference images. PMDIC has been shown to bring improvements in imaging moving cells, which show a low contrast, as well as thick tissue samples. 

Hill, R. A. Knoesen, A. Mortazavi, M. A., Corona poling of nonlinear polymer thin films for electro optic modulators, Appl. Phys. Lett. 1994, 65, 1733 1735... 

These instruments feature keyboard entry of instrument parameters which combined with digital displays, simplifying instrument operation. A high-output pulsed xenon lamp, having low power consumption and minimal ozone production, is incorporated within the optical module. 

Richards Cl, Hsiang J-C, Senapati D, Patel S, Yu J, Vosch T, Dickson RM (2009) Optically modulated fluorophores for selective fluorescence signal recovery. J Am Chem Soc 131 4619-4621... 

Historically, the first instrument for the determination of lifetime was a phase fluorometer (designed by Gaviola in 1926) operating at a single frequency. Progress in instrumentation enabled variable modulation frequency by employing a cw laser (or a lamp) and an electro-optic modulator (0.1-250 MHz), or by using the harmonic content of a pulsed laser source (up to 2 GHz). These two techniques will now be described. 

Phase fluorometers using a continuous light source and an electro-optic modulator... 

The light source can be a xenon lamp associated with a monochromator. The optical configuration should be carefully optimized because the electro-optic modulator (usually a Pockel s cell) must work with a parallel light beam. The advantages are the low cost of the system and the wide availability of excitation wavelengths. In terms of light intensity and modulation, it is preferable to use a cw laser, which costs less than mode-locked pulsed lasers. 

In frequency-domain FLIM, the optics and detection system (MCP image intensifier and slow scan CCD camera) are similar to that of time-domain FLIM, except for the light source, which consists of a CW laser and an acousto-optical modulator instead of a pulsed laser. The principle of lifetime measurement is the same as that described in Chapter 6 (Section 6.2.3.1). The phase shift and modulation depth are measured relative to a known fluorescence standard or to scattering of the excitation light. There are two possible modes of detection heterodyne and homodyne detection. 

Figure 6.11. Traveling wave single-mode LiNbOj electro-optic modulator.

Figure 9.12. Block diagrams of fiberoptic sensing instrumentation Top externally modulated laser with an acousto-optic modulator. (From Ref. 20 with permission.) Bottom internally modulated laser, (From Ref. 21 with permission.)...

However, unlike diode lasers, an external acousto-optic or electro-optic modulator is required for phase-modulation lifetime fluorometry to be performed with a HeNe laser. 

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