ABSTRACT
Since then, LIF has proven to provide excellent detection capabilities: samples can be excited with high spatial resolution given by the spot of the exciting laser beam allowing for imaging. The progress in understanding fluorescence processes and the availability of equipment such as laser sources with wavelengths down to the deep ultraviolet lead to applications of LIF in wide areas like online process monitoring and life sciences. In this chapter, a brief introduction to LIF is given with special emphasis on living organisms, e.g. bacteria. The selection of detection equipment for LIF is designed for the intended application and strongly influenced by the properties of the laser source. LIF PMT detectors are often integrated in a simplified configuration into compact, sensitive light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems for long-range detection. Single-particle spectrometers allow for the detection of the fluorescence cross sections of particles to provide a device-independent database for LIF LIDAR applications.
