CRAIC Technologies Inc of San Dimas, CA, USA has introduced ultraviolet laser sources for use with its 20/30 PV microspectrophotometer. The major application will be to serve as an excitation source for fluorescence and photoluminescence (PL) microspectroscopy. Both methods require intense light sources and, by exciting in the ultraviolet, more materials can be caused to emit photons via a luminescent process.
“The addition of ultraviolet lasers as light sources expands the capabilities of CRAIC Technologies microspectrophotometers,” says president Dr Paul Martin. “Previously, we had offered only visible and NIR range lasers as light sources. Now, however, we can include UV lasers in the lineup. This means we now have the ability to excite microscopic sample areas in the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) region and measure the photoluminescence spectrum,” he adds. “In response to customer requests, our fine team of engineers have dramatically expanded the capabilities of the 20/30 PV in terms of both fluorescence and photoluminescence microspectroscopy.”
The UV lasers can be used either as powerful light sources for fluorescence microspectroscopy or can be incorporated in the new Photoluminescence package. The UV laser output is focused onto a microscopic sample area and the light that is emitted from that area is collected and measured by the 20/30 PV microspectrophotometer. The fluorescence or photoluminescence spectra are then analyzed.