Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in supercooled glycerol: evidence from wide field single molecule imaging.

We quantify spatial and temporal heterogeneity in supercooled glycerol at T=T(g)+14 K employing a widefield detection scheme and using rubrene as the probe molecule. We describe how microscopy configuration affects measured intensity, linear dichroism, and the resulting autocorrelation function. Rotational relaxation times tau(c) of 241 probe molecules are measured, and we find spatial heterogeneity over almost three orders of magnitude present at this temperature.

High power light emitting diode based setup for photobleaching fluorescent impurities.

Single molecule fluorescence experiments, with their associated low signals, require very low background fluorescence in the sample. Even high purity liquids will often possess large numbers of fluorescent impurities that are difficult to completely remove through standard purification techniques such as distillation and recrystallization. We have constructed a simple setup in which such impurities can be photobleached before final sample preparation.