Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Ultrashort-Lived States of Aromatic Compounds

Abstract

Detailed analysis of phenomena associated with the radiationless deactivation of highly excited states of aromatic compounds has been limited until recently by the lack of a suitable method for making direct spectroscopic measurements. The decay times have been found by a number of workers to be <10^-12s, thereby preventing direct time-resolution. However, it was known that much useful information could be obtained through a study of fluorescent emission from these states if it indeed could be observed. During the past couple of years, we have developed a new experimental approach along these lines [1–4].