MRI: Acquisition of a Variable-Temperature, Wide-Spectral-Range Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometer for Enhancing Research and Teaching in a Liberal Arts College Setting

该仪器购置补助金支持在凯尼恩学院购买最先进的傅里叶变换红外光谱仪。该光谱仪使用红外波来研究许多在能源和光电领域具有潜在应用的新材料。研究工作是由本科生在文科设置。光谱仪加强了凯尼恩学院的研究基础设施，补充了校园内现有的光学光谱工具。这些仪器共同提供了一个光学材料表征设施，旨在服务于附近的区域校园。为了提高教育目标，主要研究者将实验活动纳入课程中的现有课程。此外，为了扩大学生对科学的兴趣，还为高中生开展了几项外展活动。通过这笔赠款购买的傅里叶变换红外光谱仪覆盖了广泛的光谱范围，延伸到远红外区域，并具有进行温度相关测量的能力。光谱仪允许研究人员探索与固体材料的自由载流子，声子，电子-声子相互作用和能带现象（包括能带反转）相关的物理学。该仪器支持的研究项目探索新材料，包括纳米晶体，窄带隙半导体，外延双钙钛矿薄膜和光电薄膜。具体而言，解决了以下重要问题：（i）纳米粒子的声子特性进行了研究，以了解声子模式是如何影响的纳米粒子的几何形状;（ii）几个窄带隙半导体进行了检查，以探测带反转特性;（iii）评估作为温度的函数的反射率光谱，系统地研究了声子对双钙钛矿外延材料各种性质的影响;（iv）研究了光电薄膜中的声子模和电子-声子相互作用，以了解它们对薄膜质量的依赖性。

This instrument acquisition grant supports purchase of a state-of-the-art Fourier transform infrared spectrometer at Kenyon College. The spectrometer uses infrared waves to study a host of novel materials with potential applications in energy and optoelectronic fields. The research work is performed by undergraduate students in a liberal arts setting. The spectrometer strengthens the research infrastructure at Kenyon College, complementing the existing optical spectroscopic tools on campus. Together, these instruments provide an optical materials characterization facility aimed at serving regional campuses nearby. To enhance educational goals, the principal investigator incorporates experimental activities into existing courses in the curriculum. Additionally, to broaden the interest in sciences, several outreach activities for high school students are initiated.The Fourier transform infrared spectrometer purchased through this grant covers a wide spectral range, extending into the far-infrared region, and has the ability to perform temperature dependent measurements. The spectrometer allows researchers to explore the physics related to free carriers, phonons, electron-phonon interaction and band phenomena (including band inversion) of solid materials. Research projects enabled by the instrument explore novel materials, including nanocrystals, narrow band gap semiconductors, epitaxial double perovskites films and optoelectronic films. Specifically, the following important issues are addressed: (i) phonon characteristics of nanoparticles are investigated in order to understand how phonon modes are influenced by the nanoparticle geometry; (ii) several narrow band gap semiconductors are examined in order to probe the band inversion characteristics; (iii) evaluating the reflectivity spectra as a function of temperature, systematic studies are performed to explore how phonons influence various properties of epitaxial double perovskites; and (iv) phonon modes and the electron-phonon interaction in optoelectronic films are studied in order to understand their dependence on the quality of films.