Development of an all-optical, broadband electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometer with picosecond time-resolution

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With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Programs, W. Andreas Schroeder, Charles E. Brown and James W. Longworth of the University of Illinois in Chicago, and James R. Norris of the University of Chicago will develop an all-optical, broadband electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer with picosecond time resolution. This ultrafast EPR spectrometer will allow the investigators to perform picosecond time-resolved absorption and echo spectroscopy on the formation and decay of triplet states, radicals, and radical ion pairs in both chemical systems and biochemical enzymes. The spectrometer will have 10 picosecond temporal resolution, which is three orders of magnitude faster than conventional EPR spectrometers. This instrument will require the construction of a high-power picosecond laser system, the generation of optical frequencies by optical parametric generation, the generation of ultrashort microwave pulses by optical rectification, its optical propagation, detection by electro-optic sampling and analysis of the detected microwave signals by advanced signal processing. Each of these exemplifies the current state-of-the-art and thus represents an education opportunity for both graduate and undergraduate students. This technology will become widely adopted, due to the significance of photochemistry and photobiology in both research and industry.