We have performed an experiment to test our understanding of the run time, T, necessary to achieve a specified precision in the value of the intensity coherence time, Tc, extracted from correlation functions taken in the strong signal limit, and to test predictions for the values of some experimental parameters that optimize the precision. Using ensembles of 10 correlation functions taken at 5 different choices of sample time we found that the ensemble estimators for the error in rc. were well described by the expression (see paper for formula), in agreement with the work of Degiorgio and Lastovka (1971). The sample times used were chosen so that the number of coherence times spanned by the 128 channels of the correlator, a, covered the range 1 < or = to a < or = to 16; in this range, we found no evidence of a minimum to suggest an optimum value of a. These results were independent of whether we used three-parameter or two-parameter least-squares fits to extract rc. However. we did find that the two fits gave systematically different values of rc, and both show a similar dependence on a.
Shaumeyer, J.N., Gammon, R.W., Optimizing Fitting Statistics in Photon Correlation Spectroscopypp. pp. 14-17, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland College Park, Maryland 20742