Purchase and Development of a Cyber-Enabled Broadly Tunable kHz Femtosecond Laser System

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。在化学研究仪器和设施：多用户计划（CRIF:MU）的支持下，中佛罗里达大学化学系将获得一个宽可调谐kHz飞秒激光系统。该激光系统将被中佛罗里达大学的研究人员以及合作机构用于研究化学品和材料中的超快动力学。这些研究包括：(1)多光子吸收材料的研究；(2)多光子光谱与纳米光子学；(3)大面积三维金属介电纳米光子材料的表征；(4)光伏有机复合材料的超快动力学。激光系统将被大量的本科生和研究生使用，无论是在教学环境还是在研究中。大量的研究生用户是传统上在科学领域代表性不足的群体的成员。超快激光系统，就像在这个奖项下购买的那样，允许化学家在精确的时间尺度上探测重要的化学和物理过程的动力学，从化学键的形成和断裂，到单个原子的振动和受激电子的弛豫。化学家观察这些过程的能力使他们能够更好地理解分子和材料是如何工作的。这种知识可以用来制造新的或更好的材料或设备。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Multiuser program (CRIF:MU), the Department of Chemistry at the University of Central Florida will acquire a broadly tunable kHz femtosecond laser system. The laser system will be used by researchers at University of Central Florida, as well as by partner institutions to study the ultrafast dynamics in chemicals and materials. These studies include: (1) studies of multi-photon absorbing materials; (2) multi-photon spectroscopy and nano-photonics; (3) characterization of large-area 3D metallo-dielectric nano-photonic materials; and (4) the ultrafast dynamics of photovoltaic organic composites. The laser system will be used by large numbers of undergraduate and graduate students, both in instructional settings as well as in research. Significant numbers of the graduate student users are members of groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences.Ultrafast laser systems, like the one purchased under this award, allow chemists to probe the dynamics of chemical and physical processes at precisely the time scales for important chemical and physical processes, from the making and breaking of chemical bonds, to the vibrations of individual atoms and the relaxation of excited electrons. The ability of chemists to observe these processes allows them to develop a better understanding of how molecules and materials work. This kind of knowledge can be used to make new or better materials or devices.