Apparatus for use in luminescence applications

A system, comprising:

• a light source configured to emit pulses of light directed towards a sample;
• a sensor array including at least one first photo-sensitive detector having a first type of linear polarization filter and at least one second photo-sensitive detector having a second type of linear polarization filter, wherein said first type of linear polarization filter has a plane of polarization which is angled with respect to a plane of polarization of said second type of polarization filter;
• wherein each photo-sensitive detector in the sensor array having one of said first and second linear polarization filters is individually provided with a linear polarization filter;
• a signal processor configured to receive output from the at least one first photo-sensitive detector and the at least one second photo-sensitive detector and further configured to trigger the light source to emit said pulses of light, the signal processor operable to separately measure an optical emission lifetime of a first polarization component of said photoluminescence detected by the at least one first photo-sensitive detector and a second polarization component of said photoluminescence detected by the at least one second photo-sensitive detector, and
• a colored filter over one of the first and second photo-sensitive detectors, wherein there is no colored filter over the other of the first and second photo-sensitive detectors.

A system, comprising:

• a light source configured to emit pulses of light directed towards a sample which emits a photoluminescence in response to said pulses of light;
• a first splitter configured to receive the emitted photoluminescence and produce a first photoluminescence signal in a first path and a second photoluminescence signal in a second path;
• wherein the first path is distinct from the second path;
• a first type of linear polarization filter configured to receive the first photoluminescence signal and output a polarized first photoluminescence signal;
• a second type of linear polarization filter configured to receive the second photoluminescence signal and output a polarized second photoluminescence signal;
• a first photo-sensitive detector configured to receive the polarized first photoluminescence signal;
• a second photo-sensitive detector configured to receive the polarized second photoluminescence signal;
• and
• a signal processor configured to receive output from the first and second photo-sensitive detectors and further configured to trigger the light source to emit said pulses of light, the signal processor operable to separately measure an optical emission lifetime of a first polarization component of said photoluminescence from the polarized first photoluminescence signal detected by the first photo-sensitive detector and a second polarization component of said photoluminescence from the polarized second photoluminescence signal detected by the second photo-sensitive detector.