title: Epifluorescence, confocal and total internal reflection microscopy for single-molecule experiments: a quantitative comparison.
abstract: Epifluorescence, confocal and total internal reflection microscopy are the most widely used techniques for optical single-molecule experiments. Employing these methods, we recorded the emission intensity of the same single molecule as a function of the excitation rate under otherwise identical experimental conditions. Evaluation of these data provides a quantitative comparison of the signal-to-background ratios that can be achieved for the three microscopic techniques.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Physics IV and BIMF, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Köhler