Abstract

We describe a method to probe the spectral fluctuations of a transition over broad ranges of frequencies and timescales with the high spectral resolution of Fourier spectroscopy, and a temporal resolution as high as the excited state lifetime, even in the limit of very low photocounting rates. The method derives from a simple relation between the fluorescence spectral dynamics of a single radi-ating dipole and its fluorescence intensity correlations at the outputs of a continuously scanning Michelson interferometer. These findings define an approach to investigate the fast fluorescence spectral dynamics of single molecules and other faint light sources beyond the time-resolution capabilities of standard spectroscopy experiments.

© 2006 Optical Society of America

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History
Original Manuscript: April 24, 2006
Manuscript Accepted: June 16, 2006
Revised Manuscript: June 14, 2006
Published: June 26, 2006

References

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Author Affiliations

Laurent Coolen, Jean-Pierre Hermier

Laboratoire Kastler Brossel

Xavier Brokmann, Moungi Bawendi

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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