The FluoTime 200 spectrometer is a high performance fluorescence lifetime system featuring modular construction, single-photon timing sensitivity and research flexibility. It contains the complete optics and electronics for recording fluorescence decays by means of Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC). The system is designed for use with a femtosecond or picosecond laser system e.g. the picosecond diode lasers from PicoQuant. With the FluoTime 200 decay times down to some picoseconds can be resolved. The system allows operation at more than 80 MHz repetition rate and count rates up to several million counts/second.

The FluoTime 200 system is designed for optimum timing performance. The optical system features a high sensitivity using high N.A. quartz collecting optics and vertical dispersion to maximise the overlap of the excitation laser beam and the detection volume within the sample. For spectral filtering of the emission light the researcher can choose between a direct drive monochromator, a single monochromator or a subtractive double monochromator for zero temporal dispersion. Even the single monochromator modules feature low time dispersion, f/3.2 aperture and externally adjustable slits providing spectral bandwidths of 4, 8 and 16 nm. All monochromators are usually equipped with a stepper motor, enabling Time-Resolved Emission Spectroscopy (TRES). In TRES, the fluorescence lifetime is automatically recorded as a function of emission wavelength and allows even more detailed analysis of the decay behaviour. A corresponding analysis software for TRES (FluoPlot) is provided with the system.

Different detectors are available, from standard PMTs to extremely fast MCP-PMTs which allows detection with an Instrument Response Function (IRF) of less than 50 ps. All data acquisition functions of the FluoTime 200 spectrometer are controlled by software (Windows™). The software provides functions such as setup of parameters, loading files and control of the measurement in the selected operation mode. The data analysis is done using FluoFit, which supports global reconvolution of decays using different models, anisotropy analysis, saving of results and parameters, etc.

A list of accessories like various sample holders, polarisers, cryostats, a Xenon-flashlamp or different data acquisition cards allow the modification of the FluoTime 200 to meet the individual need of the researcher.