A PLIF setup consists of a source of light (usually a laser), an arrangement of lenses to form a sheet, fluorescent medium, collection optics and a detector. The light from the source, illuminates the medium, which then fluoresces. This signal is captured by the detector and can be related to the various properties of the medium.
The typical lasers used as light sources are pulsed, which provide a higher peak power than the continuous-wave lasers. Also the short pulse time is useful for good temporal resolution. Some of the widely used laser sources are Nd:YAG laser, dye lasers, excimer lasers, and ion lasers. The light from the laser (usually a beam) is passed through a set of lenses and/or mirrors to form a sheet, which is then used to illuminate the medium. This medium is either made up of fluorescent material or can be seeded with a fluorescent substance. The signal is usually captured by a CCD or CMOS camera (sometimes intensified cameras are also used). Timing electronics are often used to synchronize pulsed light sources with intensified cameras.