CPL Introduction, 1970’s to Today
Arguably the first use of “circularly polarized luminescence” dates to 1974, “Circularly polarized luminescence of terbium (III) complexes in solution” (C. K. Luk & F. S. Richardson, Chem. Phys. Lett., 1974). (ScienceDirect) (A few years earlier were S. S. Eaton’s 1971 paper “A new method for determining optical purity, using circular polarization of luminescence” and several 1971–1974 papers on magnetic circular polarization and related theory.)
This 1993 chapter in Methods in Enzymology by Richardson firmly established CPL as a technique of serious merit. [22] Circularly polarized luminescence - ScienceDirect
Richardson and Riehl encouraged Richard DeSa to develop CPL equipment. We had our first buyer for one in the 2000s. This earliest model was the OLIS DSM 172, the combination CD and CPL.
The CPL Solo was developed in 2019. Its small size, affordability, and exquisite sensitivity has made it the market leader in this new and rapidly growing field.
North America
University of Michigan
Kent State University*
University of Connecticut
University of Pittsburgh
Wake Forest University
University of Miami*
University of Calgary
California Institute of Technology
Furman University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Owners of OLIS CPL Systems include:
*= FFT era CPL acquisition.
Europe
Technical University of Munich
University of Oxford*
University of Geneva*
University of Manchester*
University of Heidelberg
University of Castilla - la Mancha
Technical University of Lodz
Georg-August University Goettingen
Diamond Light Source*
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Technical University of Dortmund
Max Planck Institute Halle
University of Granada*
University of Bayreuth
University of Ulm
Lund University
Asia
Anhui Normal University
Ewha Women’s University
Sichuan University
Southeast University
University of Macau
Zhengzhou University
Hong Kong Baptist University
Heilongjiang University
Yonsei University
Middle East
Technion Israel Institute of Technology
Australia
University of Sydney
CSIRO Molecular & Health Technologies
Papers throughout the years issuing warnings about LPL and other artifact contaminations in CPL results
1. “The only first-order remaining artifact comes from the polarizing beam splitter
imperfections which transform luminescence linear anisotropy into false CPL.” (Nature)
2. “CPL artefacts induced by linear polarization components are the main challenge in
accurate CPL measurements… They are usually attributed to imperfections in the optical
components, such as residual static birefringence and circular dichroism.”
3. “Conventional CPL spectrometers employ a photo-elastic modulator (PEM) and a lock-in
amplifier... the linearly polarized luminescence (LPL) signal is detected at 100 kHz… if it is
too large, it cannot be completely removed, causing artifacts in the CPL spectrum.”
(PMC)
4. Riehl & Richardson defined circularly polarized luminescence and emphasized
experimental approaches for detection and quantification of CPL. (American Chemical
5. “A detailed account of recent experimental advances to achieve highly sensitive and
accurate measurements is given, including all corrections required to obtain reliable
results. Then the most common artifacts and pitfalls are discussed, especially …” (ResearchGate)
6. “The only first-order remaining artifact comes from the polarizing beam splitter imperfections which transform luminescence linear anisotropy into false CPL.” (Nature)
7. “CPL artefacts induced by linear polarization components are the main challenge inaccurate CPL measurements… They are usually attributed to imperfections in the optical components, such as residual static birefringence and circular dichroism.” (ResearchGate)
8. In practical CPL spectrometers using PEM and lock-in amplification, the linearly polarized luminescence (LPL) component can appear at a frequency that cannot be
completely filtered, “causing artifacts in the CPL spectrum,” particularly for anisotropic
or solid samples. (PMC)
9. “… a detailed account of recent experimental advances to achieve highly sensitive and
accurate measurements is given, including all corrections required to obtain reliable
results. Then the most common artifacts and pitfalls are discussed…” (ResearchGate)