Development of an Ultrabroad Bandwidth Source for Ultrafast Observation and Control of Physical, Chemical, and Biological Systems

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This award from the Major Research Instrumentation will support instrument development at the University of Florida. A group of physicists and chemists with a common need for broadband spectroscopic probing of materials with ultrafast time resolution have teamed together to develop a high brightness, high repetition rate femtosecond laser chirped pulse amplifier system capable of providing high intensity pulses over a range of wavelengths spanning 3 decades from 200 nm to 20 microns. Pulses with temporal duration approaching 10 femtoseconds and intensities nearing 100 Petawatts per square centimeter will be delivered at a repetition rate of 10 Kilohertz. In addition, the instrument will have the capability to 'sculpt' temporal pulse shapes to produce 'pulse shapes on demand'. Applications will include investigations of ultrafast chemical reactions in dendrimers, studies of nonlinear optical properties of carbon nanotubes, investigations of protein folding, and coherent control of solid state phase transitions and molecular motion. The instrument will be operated by a campus wide shared facility serving cross disciplinary training ground for future scientists with programs in the application of ultrafast optical techniques to problems in physics, chemistry, biology and materials. It will allso be part of a teaching activity for undergraduate studenbts in science and engineering through established NSF-funded summer REU programs.This award from the Major Research Instrumentation will support instrument development at the University of Florida. A group of physicists and chemists with a common need for broadband spectroscopic capability to probe materials with ultrafast time resolution will develop a high brightness, high repetition rate femtosecond laser chirped pulse amplifier system capable of providing high intensity pulses over a range of wavelengths. The instrument will have the capability to 'sculpt' temporal pulse shapes to produce 'pulse shapes on demand'. Applications will include investigations of ultrafast chemical reactions in dendrimers, studies of nonlinear optical properties of carbon nanotubes, investigations of protein folding, and coherent control of solid state phase transitions and molecular motion. The instrument will be operated by a campus wide shared facility serving cross disciplinary training ground for future scientists with programs in the application of ultrafast optical techniques to problems in physics, chemistry, biology and materials. It will also be part of a teaching activity for undergraduate students in science and engineering through established NSF-funded summer REU programs.