Open AccessCorrection of the afterpulsing effect in fluorescence correlation spectroscopy using time symmetry analysis
Author(s) -
Kunihiko Ishii,
Tahei Tahara
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.23.032387
Subject(s) - fluorescence correlation spectroscopy , optics , photon counting , asymmetry , physics , spectroscopy , detector , fluorescence spectroscopy , photon , fluorescence , symmetry (geometry) , amplitude , materials science , quantum mechanics , mathematics , geometry
Afterpulsing of a photon-counting detector is a common problem in fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. We have developed a numerical procedure which eliminates the afterpulsing effect by analyzing the time reversal asymmetry of photon data that are recorded with a time-correlated single photon counting device. This method was applied to experimental data and was compared with a previous method [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 76, 033102 (2005).]. It is demonstrated that the present method can completely eliminate the afterpulsing effect even in the case of a sample solution that contains multiple fluorophores having different fluorescence lifetimes, for which the previous method underestimates the correlation amplitude. We also show a modification of the previous method incorporating the time symmetry analysis.