Main article smFRET.
In single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer, the molecule is labeled in (at least) two places. A laser beam is focused on the molecule exciting the first probe. When this probe relaxes and emits a photon, it has a chance of exciting the other probe. The efficiency of the absorption of the photon emitted from the first probe in the second probe depends on the distance between these probes. Since the distance changes with time, this experiment probes the internal dynamics of the molecule.