Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026
13:31
High Speed Sub-GHz Spectrometer for Brillouin Scattering Analysis
Published on: December 22, 2015
Note: a flexible light emitting diode-based broadband transient-absorption spectrometer
Sean M Gottlieb1, Scott C Corley, Dorte Madsen
1Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, California 95616, USA.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|June 7, 2012
Summary
A new transient absorption spectrometer uses stable pulsed light-emitting diode (LED) technology for ns-to-ms measurements. This flexible instrument achieves high signal-to-noise ratios, aiding in the study of photodynamics in cyanobacteria.
Area of Science:
- Spectroscopy
- Photochemistry
- Biophysics
Background:
- Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy is crucial for studying molecular dynamics.
- Existing instruments often have limitations in timescale or flexibility.
- There is a need for accessible and stable spectroscopic tools for long-time measurements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a simple and flexible ns-to-ms transient absorption spectrometer.
- To demonstrate its utility with a biological system.
Main Methods:
- Development of a transient absorption spectrometer utilizing pulsed light-emitting diode (LED) technology.
- Operation in broadband multiplexed or tunable narrowband modes.
- Application to study the photodynamics of a specific cyanobacterial protein domain.
Main Results:
- The LED-based spectrometer offers excellent pulse stability (∼0.5%).
- It achieves high signal-to-noise ratios for long-time (>100 ns) transient absorption signals.
- Successfully measured ns-to-ms photodynamics of the GMP phosphodiesterase/adenylyl cyclase/FhlA domain in Nostoc punctiforme.
Conclusions:
- The developed LED-based transient absorption spectrometer is a simple, flexible, and stable instrument.
- It is suitable for both standalone use and integration into existing ultrafast setups.
- The instrument effectively probes ns-to-ms photodynamics in biological systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is the common plasma source used in atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), a technique that detects and analyzes various elements in a sample. This method is often called inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used.
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used.
01:14UV–Vis Spectrometers
The absorbance of UV and visible (UV–visible) radiations is measured using a UV–visible spectrophotometer. Deuterium lamps, which emit UV radiation, and tungsten lamps, which produce radiation in the visible region, are used as light sources in UV–visible spectrophotometers. A monochromator or prism is used for diffraction grating, i.e., to split the incoming radiation into different wavelengths. A system of slits is used to focus the desired wavelength on the sample cell. Samples for...
01:22Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
An atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) comprises several components: a radiation source, an atomizer, a monochromator, and a detector. The radiation source can be a hollow-cathode lamp (HCL) or an electrodeless-discharge lamp (EDL), both of which provide a narrow emission line of the required wavelength. However, some instruments use continuum sources and high-resolution monochromators to achieve a narrow range of radiation.
The atomizer used in AAS can be either a flame atomizer or an...
The atomizer used in AAS can be either a flame atomizer or an...
01:22Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
The instrumentation of atomic emission spectrometry (AES) involves various components, including atomization devices that convert samples into gas-phase atoms and ions. There are two main types of atomization devices: continuous and discrete atomizers. Continuous atomizers, like plasmas and flames, introduce samples in a constant stream, while discrete atomizers inject individual samples using syringes or autosamplers. The most common discrete atomizer is the electrothermal atomizer.
01:16Spectrophotometry: Introduction
Spectrophotometry is the quantitative measurement of the absorption, reflection, diffraction, or transmission of electromagnetic radiation through a material as a function of the intensity and wavelength of the radiation. A spectrophotometer is a device used to measure the change in the radiation intensity caused by its interaction with the material.
The essential components of a spectrophotometer include a source of electromagnetic radiation, a slot for placing a material to be analyzed, and a...
The essential components of a spectrophotometer include a source of electromagnetic radiation, a slot for placing a material to be analyzed, and a...
01:23Atomic Spectroscopy: Absorption, Emission, and Fluorescence
Atomic spectroscopy is a vital tool in elemental analysis, both qualitatively and quantitatively. It can be broadly divided into optical spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, and X-ray spectroscopy methods. The optical spectroscopic methods are atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), and atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (AFS). The first step in all three methods is atomization, where the solid, liquid, or solution-phase samples are converted into gas-phase atoms and...