Structural Disorder and Spectral Dynamics in Hyperquenched Glasses and other Condensed Phase Systems

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9908714SmallThe proposal entitled Structural Disorder and Spectral Dynamics in Hyperquenched Glasses and other Condensed Phase Systems is an investigation of structural disorder and complex configurational relaxation in glasses and other disordered systems, subjects of intense interest in many fields including cryobiology, amorphous solid state electronics and the structure and function of proteins. The glasses to be studied are molecular, with emphasis on water and other hydrogen bonding liquids. Issue to be addressed include: similarities in the initial nuclear (inertial) response of a glass and liquid to optical excitation of a probe (relevant to chemical reaction dynamics in solution); the effect of spatial confinement on the structure and relaxation processes of glasses; comparison of the spectral dynamics and electron-phonon coupling of a probe in low and high density glassy water; and the spectroscopic properties of probe molecules in a mammalian cells. Techniques to be used are spectral hole burning (SHB) and photon echo spectroscopies and a novel hyperquenching apparatus for formation of glasses.The challenging nature of the experiments and state-of-the-art equipment provide excellent educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. The fundamental studies of probe molecules in cells will help establish whether spectral hole burning can be used in early detection of cancer.