High‐speed image processor for picosecond time‐resolved spectroscopy

A microcomputer‐based image processor has been developed for picosecond time‐resolved spectroscopy of single events. The instrument is used with a monochromator, a streak camera, and a TV camera. Video signals of a spectrum‐resolved streak image are divided into up to 32 channels and their intensity profiles are quickly displayed on a TV screen or drawn on a recorder. The design of the hardware and the function of the software are described in detail. Time‐resolved emission spectra of dimethylaminobenzonitrile excited by a mode‐locked YAG laser have been obtained and a remarkable spectral change in the picosecond domain has been found.