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：提出者的目标是获得一个复合的、超高速宽带激光和通用检测系统，以服务于加州大学默塞德分校的研究和教学目标，该分校是加州大学系统中的第10个也是最新的校区。所提出的仪器包括：(A)由固体泵浦和种子激光器、再生放大器和两个同步光学参数放大器(OPA)组成的多级级联激光系统。每个OPA将提供覆盖大部分紫外线、可见光、近红外和远红外光谱区域的超快(150飞秒宽度)脉冲和白光连续体，以及(B)由耦合到软件控制的时间相关光子计数电子设备的超快雪崩光电二极管和成像光谱仪组成的探测模块。这一采集将很容易针对多种静态和动态应用进行重新配置，例如瞬变吸收、四波混频、光致发光以及磁光法拉第和克尔测量等。激光系统的宽光谱可调谐性，加上其高时间分辨率，提供了巨大的灵活性，以支持跨越几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。将涵盖的一些主题包括：半导体和绝缘体中电子和原子的自旋极化和相干时间的研究；单个高纯度碳纳米管的光电子动力学和管间能量传递机制；有机-半导体液晶复合材料中使用四波混频的辐射激子寿命；表面的光异构化，使单分子能够执行分子尺度设备所需的复杂任务；通过新型光纤的脉冲光传输；共轭有机发色团的非线性光学响应的双光子吸收分析；以及使用双光子激发荧光显微镜的吞噬过程中肌动蛋白的动力学。提出者已经制定了明确的计划，将这一提议的获取整合到教育中，并与新校园的发展同步。为本科生开设的纳米技术辅修课程已经计划好，将于2009年秋季开始提供。这门辅修课程的计划课程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。物理专业的高年级实验室课程也正在设计中，将于2009年春季首次开设，其中有一门广泛的光学部分。此外，加州大学默塞德分校的地理位置，由于其学生人数偏低，提供了一种吸引和留住人数偏少的学生学习科学和技术的手段，几个PI和共同PI参与了外联计划。非技术摘要：光学技术提供了一种在广泛的能量和时间范围内询问和操纵有机和无机材料性质的手段。我们建议收购一种高度通用的激光和探测系统，使几个学科的研究人员能够进行各种光学和光电实验，从而服务于加州大学默塞德分校的研究和教学目标，这是加州大学第10个也是最新的校区。将被研究的系统包括半导体、奇异磁铁、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制定了明确的计划，将这项拟议的收购整合到教育中，与新园区的增长同步。为本科生开设的纳米技术辅修课程已经计划好，将于2009年秋季开始提供。这门辅修课程的计划课程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。物理专业的高年级实验室课程也正在设计中，将于2009年春季首次开设，其中有一门广泛的光学部分。

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.