Relative large Stokes shift gives low background, and allows multicolor detections.

The causes and magnitude of Stokes shift can be complex and are dependent on the fluorophore and its environment.

Stokes shift is the difference (in wavelength or frequency units) between positions of the band maxima of the absorption and emission spectra (fluorescence and Raman being two examples) of the same electronic transition.

These are well-suited for this application due to their large Stokes shifts and extremely long emission lifetimes (from microseconds to milliseconds) compared to more traditional fluorophores (e.g., fluorescein, allophycocyanin, phycoerythrin, and rhodamine).

This method is less efficient than blue LEDs with YAG:Ce phosphor, as the Stokes shift is larger, so more energy is converted to heat, but yields light with better spectral characteristics, which render color better.

A Stokes shift refers to molecular absorptions of radiant energy of higher frequencies followed by emissions of lower frequencies; and an anti-Stokes shift refers to absorptions of lower frequencies followed by emissions of higher frequencies.