Fluorescence Quantum Yield Measurements and Optical Properties
Summary
Fluorescence quantum yield quantifies the efficiency with which a fluorophore converts absorbed photons into emitted light and is a pivotal parameter in spectroscopy, materials science and bioimaging. Accurate determination demands careful consideration of instrument response, sample absorbance and scattering, and optical collection geometry. Key challenges include correction for the inner filter effect, which attenuates excitation and emission in concentrated or highly absorbing samples, and the need for integrating sphere setups to capture all emitted photons for absolute measurements. Advances in optical design, calibration standards and computational models now enable broader dynamic ranges, improved reproducibility and reliable interlaboratory comparison, driving applications from solid-state lighting and energy conversion to environmental sensing and high-throughput diagnostics.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Fluorescence Quantum Yield Measurements and Optical Properties publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in fluorescence quantum yield measurements and optical properties across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Fluorescence quantum yield: The ratio of emitted to absorbed photons by a fluorescent species, indicating its luminescence efficiency.
Inner filter effect: Attenuation of excitation or emission light within a sample due to reabsorption or scattering, causing nonlinearity in fluorescence intensity.
Integrating sphere: A hollow spherical cavity with a diffusely reflecting interior used to collect and integrate light from all directions for absolute emission measurements.
Numerical aperture: A dimensionless number characterising a lens’s ability to gather light, defined by the sine of the maximum acceptance angle multiplied by the refractive index.
Lambertian source: An ideal diffuse emitter whose radiance is constant when viewed from any angle, following Lambert’s cosine law.
References
- Interlaboratory Comparison on Absolute Photoluminescence Quantum Yield Measurements of Solid Light Converting Phosphors with Three Commercial Integrating Sphere Setups. Analytical Chemistry (2024).
- Influence of Measurement Geometry and Blank on Absolute Measurements of Photoluminescence Quantum Yields of Scattering Luminescent Films. Analytical Chemistry (2025).
- Inner Filter Effect Correction for Fluorescence Measurements in Microplates Using Variable Vertical Axis Focus. Analytical Chemistry (2022).
- When a lensless fluorometer outperforms a lensed system. Optica (2024).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.