Fluorescence Spectra of Highlighter Inks

Fluorescence spectra excited by laser pointers have been the subject of several papers in TPT. These papers all describe a fluorescence phenomenon in which the reflected laser light undergoes a change in color: this color change results from the combination of some partially reflected laser light and additional colors generated by fluorescent emission. Here we examine the fluorescence spectra of highlighter inks using green and violet laser pointers. We use an RSpec Explorer spectrometer to obtain spectra and compare the emission spectra of blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, and purple highlighters. The website Compound Interest details the chemical composition of highlighter inks; in addition, the site discusses how some base dye colors can be combined to produce the variety commercially available colors. Spectra obtained in this study were qualitatively consistent with the Compound Interest site. We discuss similarities and differences between various highlighter colors and conclude with the relevance of such studies to physics students.