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

这项仪器采购赠款支持在凯尼恩学院购买一台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一系列在能源和光电子领域具有潜在应用的新材料。这项研究工作由本科生在文科背景下进行。该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。总之，这些仪器提供了一个光学材料表征设施，旨在为附近的地区校园服务。为了加强教育目标，首席调查员将实验活动纳入课程中现有的课程。此外，为了扩大对科学的兴趣，还发起了几项针对高中生的外展活动。通过这笔赠款购买的傅立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，并具有执行随温度变化的测量的能力。该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-声子相互作用和带现象(包括带反转)相关的物理。由该仪器实现的研究项目探索新材料，包括纳米晶体、窄禁带半导体、外延双钙钛矿薄膜和光电薄膜。具体来说，我们研究了以下几个重要问题：(I)研究了纳米粒子的声子特性，以了解纳米粒子的声子模式如何受纳米粒子几何形状的影响；(Ii)研究了几种窄禁带半导体的能带反转特性；(Iii)评估了作为温度函数的反射率光谱，系统地研究了声子如何影响外延双钙钛矿的各种性质；以及(Iv)研究了光电子薄膜中的声子模式和电子-声子相互作用，以了解它们对薄膜质量的依赖关系。

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.