Time-varying photon probability distribution of individual molecules at room temperature

The radiation field emitted from rhodamine molecules adsorbed on a glass surface is investigated at room temperature. Transitions between Poissonian and sub-Poissonian statistics are monitored by tracking the probability of detecting photon pairs after pulsed optical excitation. Fluctuations are analyzed by recording simultaneously the inter-photon time distribution, the emission maximum, and the fluorescence lifetime with a time-resolution in the ms–s time range. The presented technique enables us to determine unequivocally whether an observed chromophoric system behaves as a single quantum emitter at any time.