MRI: Acquisition of a Composite Femtosecond Lasing System for Broadband Non-linear Static and Dynamic Optical Analysis of Organic and Semiconducting Systems

技术摘要：本文的目标是获得一个复合的、超快的宽带激光器和通用探测系统，以服务于加州大学默塞德分校（UC Merced）的研究和教学目标。提出的仪器包括(a)一个多级级联激光系统，包括一个固态泵浦和种子激光器，一个再生放大器和两个同步光参量放大器（OPA）。每个OPA将提供超快（150飞秒宽度）脉冲，覆盖大部分紫外、可见光、近红外和远红外光谱区域，以及白光连续体，以及(b)由超快雪崩光电二极管与软件控制的时间相关光子计数电子设备和成像光谱仪组成的检测模块。此次收购将很容易重新配置多种静态和动态应用，如瞬态吸收、四波混频、光致发光、磁光法拉第和克尔测量等。激光系统的广谱可调性及其高时间分辨率提供了巨大的灵活性，以支持跨多个学科的各种实验研究，包括凝聚态物质，光学，生物工程和生物物理学。包括电子和原子的自旋极化和相干时间在半导体和绝缘体的研究；单根高纯碳纳米管的光电动力学及管间能量传递机制有机-半导体液晶复合材料四波混频辐射激子寿命研究表面上的光异构化使单分子能够执行分子尺度设备所需的复杂任务；脉冲光在新型光纤中的传播；共轭有机发色团非线性光学响应的双光子吸收分析利用双光子激发荧光显微镜观察吞噬过程中肌动蛋白的动态变化。提议者有明确的计划，将拟议的收购整合到教育中，与新校园的发展同步。计划在2009年秋季开始为本科生开设纳米技术辅修课程。本辅修课程计划包括合成纳米材料的光学表征，作为其实验室组成部分的重要组成部分。在2009年春季为物理专业设计了一门高级实验课程，其中包含了大量的光学成分。此外，加州大学默塞德分校的地理位置，以及其未被充分代表的学生人数，为吸引和留住未被充分代表的学生提供了一种手段，一些pi和co- pi参与了外展计划。非技术摘要：光学技术提供了一种在大范围的能量和时间尺度上查询和操纵有机和无机材料特性的手段。我们建议收购一个高度通用的激光和检测系统，这将使多个学科的研究人员能够进行各种各样的光学和光电实验，从而服务于加州大学第10校区和最新校区加州大学默塞德分校的研究和教学目标。将被研究的系统包括半导体、外来磁铁、纳米管、量子点、液晶和生物分子。这些研究构成了高度跨学科的项目，将使化学、物理、材料科学和电气工程领域的大量研究生受益。此外，pi有明确的计划，将拟议的收购整合到教育中，与新校区的发展同步。计划在2009年秋季开始为本科生开设纳米技术辅修课程。本辅修课程计划包括合成纳米材料的光学表征，作为其实验室组成部分的重要组成部分。在2009年春季为物理专业设计了一门高级实验课程，其中包含了大量的光学成分。

Technical abstract: The goal of the proposers is to acquire a composite, ultrafast broadband laser and general purpose detection system to serve the research and teaching goals of UC Merced, the 10th and newest campus in the University of California system. The proposed instruments include (a) a multi-stage cascaded lasing system comprising a solid-state pump and seed laser, a regenerative amplifier and two synchronous optical parametric amplifiers (OPA). Each OPA will provide ultrafast (150 femtosecond width) pulses covering large portions of the ultraviolet, visible, near- and far-infrared spectral regions, and a white light continuum, and (b) detection modules consisting of ultrafast avalanche photodiodes coupled to software controlled time-correlated photon counting electronics, and an imaging spectrograph. This acquisition will be easily reconfigurable for multiple static and dynamic applications such as transient absorption, four-wave mixing, photoluminescence, and magneto-optical Faraday and Kerr measurements, among others. The broad spectral tunability of the laser system coupled with its high temporal resolution provides enormous flexibility to support a wide variety of experimental research across several disciplines, including condensed matter, optics, bioengineering and biophysics. Some topics to be covered are studies of electron and atomic spin polarization and coherence times in semiconductors and insulators; opto-electronic dynamics of individual high-purity carbon nanotubes and intertube energy transfer mechanisms; radiative excitonic lifetimes using four wave mixing in organic-semiconductor liquid crystal composites; photoisomerization on surfaces to enable single molecules to perform sophisticated tasks necessary for molecular scale devices; pulsed light propagation through novel optical fibers; two-photon absorption analysis of nonlinear optical responses of conjugated organic chromophores; and dynamics of actin during phagocytosis using two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy.The proposers have well-defined plans for integrating this proposed acquisition into education, synchronized with the growth of this new campus. A Nanotechnology minor for undergraduates has been planned and is to be offered starting in Fall 2009. The planned curriculum for this minor includes optical characterization of synthesized nanomaterials as an important part of its laboratory component. An upper division laboratory course is also being designed for the Physics major to be offered for the first time in Spring 2009, in which there is a extensive optics component. In addition, the location of UC Merced, with its high underrepresented student population, offers a means to attract and retain underrepresented students to science and technology and several PIs and co-PIs are involved in outreach programs.Non-technical abstract: Optical techniques provide a means to both interrogate and manipulate properties of organic and inorganic materials over a broad range of energy and time scales. We propose the acquisition of a highly versatile laser and detection system that will allow researchers across several disciplines to perform a wide variety of optical and opto-electronic experiments and hence serve the research and teaching goals of UC Merced, the 10th and newest campus of University of California. Systems which will be investigated include semiconductors, exotic magnets, nanotubes, quantum dots, liquid crystals and biomolecules. These studies constitute highly interdisciplinary projects and will benefit a large number of graduate students across chemistry, physics, materials science and electrical engineering. Additionally, the PIs have well-defined plans for integrating this proposed acquisition into education, synchronized with the growth of this new campus. A Nanotechnology minor for undergraduates has been planned and is to be offered starting in Fall 2009. The planned curriculum for this minor includes optical characterization of synthesized nanomaterials as an important part of its laboratory component. An upper division laboratory course is also being designed for the Physics major to be offered for the first time in Spring 2009, in which there is a extensive optics component.